Mocobizscene- A homeless man in Cutler Bay, Florida may face a lengthy prison sentence after authorities were alerted to an incident at a local Publix store.
Miami-Dade police have reported the arrest of Dominick Martinez, a 39-year-old individual. Martinez is now facing charges of attempted murder and first-degree arson.
At around 3:30 p.m. on February 17, authorities received a call and promptly responded to a Publix store situated at 20951 Old Cutler Road. Upon their arrival, they discovered thick smoke emanating from the building.
While reviewing the video surveillance footage, the police discovered that Martinez entered the store and went straight to the bathroom. Witnesses stated that after leaving the bathroom, he wandered aimlessly through different aisles without displaying any interest in the products.
According to an arrest report, witnesses reported that Martinez briefly conversed with an employee before proceeding to aisle 11. This particular aisle contains items such as charcoal, lighter fluid, and butane containers.
Authorities have stated that Martinez was caught on additional surveillance footage manipulating merchandise. The footage shows him tilting a bottle of butane and rearranging bottles of lighter fluid near bags of charcoal.
According to the arrest officer’s report, the defendant was seen reaching into the shelf area with a torch lighter in his right hand. After a moment, there was a flash, and the defendant jumped back.
An alert Publix employee, along with the assistance of a customer, promptly noticed smoke rising from the shelves and took immediate action to extinguish the flames, according to the police.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue swiftly arrived at the scene and concluded that the incident was a deliberate act of arson.
After photos from surveillance footage were shared on social media, Martinez was recognized as the suspect by members of the community. According to the police, Martinez was familiar with the South Dixie Highway and Marlin Road area, as well as the nearby CVS store.
Miami-Dade police officers found Martinez outside the CVS store around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and arrested him.
Martinez was taken into custody by the police, who reported that he made impromptu remarks during the arrest. However, the investigators cautioned him against providing any additional information until a proper interview could take place at the Cutler Bay police station.
Martinez, during the interrogation, stated that he had no memory of the events that preceded the fire. According to jail records, he is still in custody while authorities conduct their investigation into the incident. Formal charges are pending.
Martinez is currently being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, as of Thursday.
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