A man who is facing federal charges for setting a Northwest Ohio Walmart ablaze has been ordered to undergo a competency examination.
Caleb Poole, 26, of Fredericksburg, Ohio, in the southeastern part of the state, is charged with arson in U.S. District Court in Toledo. Investigators believe he started a fire at the Kenton, Ohio, Walmart on May 6, causing about $1 million in damage.
Mr. Poole was arraigned before Magistrate Judge James Knepp II last week with his federal defender, Jennifer Wenger.
On Thursday, he ordered Mr. Poole be evaluated to determine if he possesses the mental capacity to stand trial and if he suffers from a severe mental disease as would be consistent with a defense to the pending charge.
Security footage from Walmart shows Mr. Poole purchasing two thermoses and a lighter with a credit/debit card, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. Mr. Poole can then be seen taking the thermoses to a nearby gas station and filling them up with $5 worth of gasoline.
The suspect is observed walking back into the store and placing items such as toilet paper and hair spray in a cart, the complaint shows.
Video surveillance shows a fire starting in the women’s undergarment area, with flames rising about 20 feet. Mr. Poole can also be seen leaving the store immediately after the fire, according to the complaint.
Investigators were able to identify Mr. Poole through his purchase of items and by tracking activities through his bank card. They located him in the parking lot of a Walmart in Dublin, Ohio, where he was arrested.
First Published May 21, 2019, 6:55 p.m.
