13-year-old boys in custody for $1 million arson at Walmart in Hutchinson, Minnesota
Police have two teens in custody in relation to this fire at the Hutchinson Walmart. (Staci Skoog)
HUTCHINSTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police took two 13-year-old boys into custody Sunday for allegedly setting a fire at Walmart in Hutchinson, Minnesota that caused an estimated $1 million or more in damages.
Shortly after 3 p.m., police officers and firefighters responded to a fire at the Walmart at 1300 Highway 15 South, according to the Hutchinson Police Department.
The fire had started in the men’s clothing department. When crews arrived, there was still a small fire burning, but they quickly extinguished it.
An investigation determined the fire had been deliberately set.
"You can't get into the mind of a 13-year-old boy as to why they would do something like this," said Hutchinson Police Chief Tom Gifferson. "It appears to me his sole intent was to cause damage. Clearly he accomplished that."
Surveillance video from the store identified the two boys as the possible suspects. The boys were located and taken into custody.
Charges are pending with the McLeod County Attorney’s Office.