The manager of a Dollar General in Georgia has been accused of setting the location on fire while shoppers were inside in an alleged effort to hide her theft of money from the store.
On the morning of August 17, the Dollar General in Douglas, Georgia, suffered from a blaze that consumed an estimated $700,000 in internal and external damages. The fire reportedly broke out while customers were inside of the store.
While the authorities investigated the circumstances surrounding the fire they discovered that it was started in two different locations inside of the building.
Though the interior was severely charred from the flames, the investigators discovered that $3,300 was missing, causing them to purport that the suspect who set the fire may have done so in an attempt to conceal stealing the cash that was intended for deposit.
The manager of the store at the time of the fire was reported as 41-year-old Kay Yvette Taylor, and the authorities surmised that it was she who was responsible for the missing money and the arson.
The Safety Fire Commissioner called Taylor a “danger to society” due to the belief that she endangered the lives of the shoppers when the incident took place, and on September 10 she was taken into custody for the allegations.
Taylor was booked into the Coffee County jail and she is expected to face charges for suspicion of theft, and felony first-degree arson.
If she is found guilty of the first-degree arson charge Taylor could spend between one and twenty years in prison, and/or be ordered to pay up to $50,000 in fines.
All of the people inside of the store at the time of the fire were reported as being able to exit safely and without injury.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.