METAIRIE, La. — Walmart in Metairie reopened Thursday morning after a man set a rack of clothes on fire inside the store Wednesday.
Kenner police say 23-year-old Samir Hernandez set two trash can fires in front of homes near the intersections of Filmore Street and Reverend Richard Wilson Boulevard and Roosevelt Boulevard and Airline Highway before setting additional fires at the Walmart and The Home Depot next door.
The fires were quickly put out, but they caused heavy smoke damage inside the stores.
Kenner PD detectives say surveillance footage led them to arrest Hernandez in the 2700 block of Roosevelt. They say after interviewing Hernandez, he confessed to starting the four fires. It is still unclear as to why he set the fires.
Hernandez was charged with two counts of aggravated arson, two counts of aggravated criminal damage, two counts of simple arson, and two counts of simple criminal damage.
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