Man Sentenced To 7 Years For Setting Fire Inside Store At Westfield Century City Mall, Prompting Evacuation
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A Missouri man was sentenced to over seven years in prison Thursday after pleading no contest to setting a fire inside a store at the Westfield Century City mall prompting a mass evacuation last year.
Nicholas Kyle Oates, 27, was immediately sentenced to seven years and four months in state prison following his plea to one count each of arson and assault with a firearm, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Oates was seen entering the mall armed with a handgun before entering the children's section of the Amazon store and setting books on fire.
He also pulled a handgun on a store employee who confronted him and then lit additional items on fire before fleeing the scene, according to prosecutors.
Investigators said Oates was a "disgruntled [former] employee unhappy with Amazon" who was "taking out his revenge in this bizarre and very dangerous manner".
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore described the situation as one that "created terror in the minds of hundreds of shoppers."
As the event unfolded, Beverly Hills High School, which is located less than a mile away, was also placed on temporary lockdown as a precaution.
Some shoppers and employees were instructed to shelter in place before being allowed to leave the shopping center several hours later.
Investigators reviewed hours of closed-circuit camera recordings, which led them to identify the suspect and his vehicle, the police chief said.
Oates was arrested the following evening by LAPD officers who recognized the suspect sitting at a nearby beach at the Venice boardwalk.
Oates confessed to his involvement in the arson and assault, according to Moore, who praised police, firefighters and mall staff for their work amid chaos, confusion and inconvenience to the public.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)