WASHINGTON — A man broke in to an Arlington business and stole merchandise before setting the store on fire, Arlington County police said Friday.
Around 4:15 a.m. Friday, the Arlington County Fire Department responded to a fire in the 2600 block of Columbia Pike in Arlington. When crews extinguished the flames, a police investigation found someone forced entry into the business, stole merchandise and then intentionally set the fire to the building. The suspect then fled on foot, police said.
Video surveillance from a nearby business captured the suspect, who is described as a heavyset, nearly 300 pound man between 30 and 40 years old and between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet tall. He has a full beard and bald spot and wore glasses, a light shirt, dark-colored jeans and a backpack at the time of the crime, police said.
A police spokeswoman said the value of the items the suspect stole from the business is not yet available. The estimated cost of damage the fire caused has not yet been released.
Anyone with details about the identity of the suspect or other information about the crime can call police at 703-228-4172. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS.
Below is a map with the location of the fire:
