LANCASTER, SC – A 12-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to starting a fire inside the Walmart in Lancaster over the weekend.
Firefighters were called to the store on Highway 9 Bypass around 4:30pm on Sunday.
Employees and customers were told to evacuate the store while firefighters quickly put out the flames.
Lancaster Police along with SLED quickly identified an underage suspect and took him into custody.
“I am thankful no one was injured during the incident,” said Police Chief Don Roper. “Our investigators did a great job in quickly developing a suspect, allowing us to resolve this case today. Our citizens should know that resolving incidents like this is a top priority, and we will use all of our resources and partnerships to take suspects into custody without delay. We will not tolerate anyone placing the community in danger with criminal behavior.”
In court on Monday, the boy plead delinquent (guilty) to second degree arson.
He is being held in custody while a mental evaluation is completed, which should happen in the next 45 days.
Once the judge receives the results, he will sentence the boy. The maximum sentence is 10 years.
