A southeastern Ohio man is facing federal charges, accused of starting a fire in the women’s clothing section of a Hardin County Walmart.
Caleb Poole, 26, of Fredericksburg, Ohio, is charged in U.S. District Court in Toledo with arson. Investigators believe he started a fire at the Kenton, Ohio, Walmart on Monday. The complaint was filed in federal court on Tuesday.
A fire and explosion was reported at the store shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, when emergency personnel discovered an area in the women’s undergarment section burned, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.
After investigators reviewed Walmart’s security footage, investigators identified Mr. Poole, who was described as wearing a camouflage baseball-style hat, a yellow shirt, glasses, and blue, white, and yellow striped shorts.
Mr. Poole was initially in the Walmart parking lot at approximately 5:45 p.m. Monday, court records state. Security footage showed him purchasing two thermoses and a Zippo lighter approximately half an hour later, according to the complaint. Investigators say he purchased the items with a credit/debit card.
The suspect is then seen exiting the store and walking with the thermoses to an adjacent gas station. Surveillance video shows Mr. Poole paying $5 for gasoline and pumping the fuel into the thermoses, according to the complaint.
Just prior to 6:30 p.m., Mr. Poole walks back into Walmart and investigators observe him picking up items such as toilet paper and hair spray and placing them in a cart, the criminal complaint states.
Video surveillance shows a fire starting in the women’s undergarment area, with flames rising approximately 20 feet. Store personnel have initially estimated $1 million in losses, and at least one person was treated for smoke inhalation, court records show.
Following the fire, Mr. Poole can be seen exiting the store and driving out of the parking lot, court records show. As a result of the suspect purchasing the items, store security was able to identify Mr. Poole and match his driver’s license photo to security footage.
Investigators tracked Mr. Poole’s activities through his bank card and established surveillance in the Dublin, Ohio, area, according to the criminal complaint. During this surveillance, agents observed Mr. Poole in the parking lot of Walmart in Dublin.
Law enforcement stopped Mr. Poole and arrested him, advising him he was driving the same vehicle observed in the Kenton Walmart incident.
First Published May 8, 2019, 9:15 p.m.
