Baltimore Police Search For Arsonists

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Arsonists set a local convenience store's garage on fire and it's all caught on tape.  Now police and neighbors are hoping you can help catch the suspects.

Monique Griego has the video you need to see.

Surveillance video shows two guys---one in plaid shorts---walk up to the Lucky Corner Convenience Store.  Once they stop, there's a spark.  Police say one man lit a T-shirt on fire, dropped it and then walked off.  Moments later, flames ignited the store's garage.

"He sets up a nice store here.  There's tables, we got people out here.  For that to happen is just barbaric," said Chris Wullin.

Wullin, who lives up the street, says the store was recently renovated by a new owner and  has since become a neighborhood hangout.  He can't believe someone would set it on fire.

"They got no life, nothing going on.  I wish they wouldn't come around here," he said.

Tony Chen, the owner, showed WJZ the damage.  He had to replace the garage's charred roof and walls, but said it could have been a lot worse.  He said most of the stuff inside the garage is very flammable, so his biggest fear was that once it caught on fire, the entire garage would go up and then flames would spread to his house.

"It's sort of a densely populated residential area, and the fire could have easily spread to adjoining rowhomes," said Detective Kevin Brown, Baltimore City Police.

Brown says thanks to the surveillance video from inside the store, they got a good look at the man in plaid.  They're hoping someone will recognize him.

If not, neighbors like Wullin are also on the watch.

"I'm sure we'll all see the video, know who they are and make sure they don't come around here anymore," Wullin said.

The fire caused around $4,000 in damage.  If you have any information, please call police.