KISSIMMEE, Fla. – After a CVS store went up in flames in April, investigators revealed that it was actually a work of arson, according to court records obtained by News 6.
The fire happened on April 17 at the CVS store near Pleasant Hill Road and John Young Parkway, leaving three people injured, investigators said at the time.
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However, a criminal complaint in May shows that the fire was set on purpose, with a suspect seen pouring “ignitable liquid” in the aisle and on products stocked along the shelves.
Per the complaint, an employee at the store told investigators that there was a “guy with a gas can” heading into the store.
Meanwhile, another employee reported that “they smelled something before the explosion, and it smelled like gasoline,” the complaint continues.
“An employee of this business stated that an individual came up to them in the store, and the employee observed the individual’s face was red,” investigators wrote. “There were burn marks on the person’s hands, and the person was in a panicked state.”
According to the complaint, investigators soon identified the man as Joao Marcelo Mendes Minillo, who had apparently spoken with an Osceola County deputy shortly after the explosion.
At the time, Mendes Minillo acknowledged he was indeed at the pharmacy and had been injured in the fire, though he wasn’t able to provide any ID, detectives explained.
“The OCSO deputy ran Mendes Minillo’s name through a law enforcement system and asked Mendes Minillo how long he has been in Kissimmee,” the complaint states. “And Mendes Minillo states he is done with the questions.”
As a result of the incident, investigators said that there was probable cause to believe Mendes Minillo was responsible for the arson.
He was later arrested and booked into the Polk County jail.
The store remains closed at the time this article was published.