DOVER, DE – A man who set a fire inside a Dover Target store in order to create a diversion to push a shopping cart full of items from the store has been arrested.
Police have arrested Desmond Smith, 26, for the fire on July 10th as a result of a joint investigation with the City of Dover Fire Marshal’s Office.
“Through the collection and examination of in-store surveillance footage and physical evidence from the store, Desmond Smith (26), was identified as the sole suspect in the arson. It is believed that Smith set the fire as a diversion to steal a cart full of merchandise from the business,” police said.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Smith and executed a search warrant at his residence in the 900 Block of Whatcoat Drive at 11:00 a.m. on Monday.
Smith was taken into custody, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals First State Fugitive Task Force and the City of Dover Fire Marshal’s Office, without incident and later committed to SCI on a $137,000 cash bond.