Youngstown Man Allegedly Tries to Set Dollar General Store Ablaze

Surveillance video captured what Youngstown police say was a deliberate attempt to burn down a Dollar General on Belmont Avenue, foiled only by the suspect's own failure to keep the flames alive.

The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on March 3 at the store at 1370 Belmont Avenue. According to a police report, the store manager turned over security footage showing a white man in a red Ohio State hoodie and gray shorts walking from the clothing aisle toward the candy and cleaning-supply section. Once there, he pulled a pack of shirts from his hoodie pocket and ignited them with what appeared to be a lighter, hunching over the fabric as it caught fire.

With the pack burning, the man carried it to a box of brooms and tucked the flaming bundle inside, apparently trying to use the merchandise as fuel to spark a larger blaze. The attempt failed. The flames grew visible but never spread into a full fire, and no injuries were reported. Officers later recovered the charred pack of shirts from inside the store as evidence.

After the fire fizzled, the suspect walked out of the store alongside another man who had been making purchases during the incident. The two drove off in a 2022 Jeep Compass, described as blue or dark blue, heading west on Fairmont Avenue.

As of the time these reports were published, Youngstown police had not identified either man. "At this time, no suspects have been identified yet," police said. The investigation is ongoing.