A 12-year-old boy has been charged with aggravated arson after starting a fire Monday at Family Dollar store on Catherine Street in Patterson, causing major damage to the store, said Brant Thompson, chief deputy with the state fire marshal’s office.
No one was injured in the fire, Thompson said. The fire started just before 1:30 p.m. Monday and caused “significant damage throughout” the store, including smoke, soot, fire and water damage, he said.
The juvenile suspect was uncooperative with authorities, and no possible motive has been discovered yet, Thompson said.
Investigators do know that the suspect “introduced an open flame to ordinary combustibles” on one of the aisles inside the store, Thompson said.