Fire set near closing time forcing customers and staff to evacuate.
On Sunday evening, July 3rd, 2011, just before closing time, two men entered the
Ross Dress for Less Store located on FM 1488 near FM 2978 in Magnolia, Texas
and asked to speak with the store manager. While waiting for the manager, one of
the men walked to the back of the store and set fire to clothing and wicker
furnishings on a display rack. Employees immediately noticed the fire and smoke,
and began to evacuate the customers still in the store. As it was near closing time,
only a handful of customers were in the store at the time the fire was set. A quick
thinking employee grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and was able to control the
fire until the Magnolia Fire Department arrived from their station just down the
street from the shopping center.
Arson investigators from the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office have
learned that two males entered the store approximately three minutes apart and
asked to speak with the store manager. The first man to enter the store was a white
male with a beard, tan pants, black long sleeve shirt and a green baseball hat. The
second man to enter the store was a Hispanic male wearing tan pants, a black long
sleeve shirt with a green t-shirt over the black shirt and a tan/black baseball hat.
Both were dressed in similar clothing, although the Hispanic male had an additional
green t-shirt over his black long sleeve shirt.
Witnesses reported to investigators that they heard a loud noise like an explosion
and saw smoke coming from the furnishings section of the store. During the
confusion and evacuation of the store, both men fled the building in an unknown
direction.
Investigators with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office are seeking
information in regards to the identity of the two men in the attached images.
Anyone with information can call the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office at
936-538-8288 or email the office at [email protected].
Persons with information who wish to remain anonymous may also contact
Montgomery County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-(STOP) 7867 or visit the Crime
Stoppers website at www.montgomerycountycrimestoppers.org.
