Rochester police: Fire at Home Depot was 'intentionally set'
May 24—ROCHESTER — A fire at Home Depot on Thursday evening was "intentionally set," according to the Rochester Police Department.
Officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, to Home Depot — 3050 41st St. NW — for a report of a structure fire. Police said it was determined that "someone had intentionally set a fire in the back of the store." Bystanders put out the fire before officers arrived.
According to RPD, before the fire witnesses saw "a man walking around the store for a few hours filling a cart with merchandise." He was then seen crouched down in the area of the store where the fire occurred, RPD said.
"After several minutes in that area, he tried to exit the store with a full cart of merchandise. When employees confronted him, he left the cart and ran out of the store," RPD said in a news bulletin.
The fire was discovered about the same time the man left.
RPD is investigating the case.
