Gastonia Police say arson suspect behind $1 million fire at Dollar Tree is a 14-year-old boy

GASTONIA, N.C. – Gastonia Police say they’ve identified a suspect arsonist, and he’s only 14-years-old. The teen is accused of setting fire to a Dollar Tree store on South York Street on July 5th.

Police say the fire forced part of US 321 to close for several hours while firefighters battled that blaze. We’re told the fire destroyed the building and caused $1 million worth of damage.

Because of his age, police aren’t releasing the teen’s name. The Department of Juvenile Justice will determine the next steps in the case