Crime & Safety
OC Target Set On Fire As A Diversion, Police Say
Police arrested a woman suspected of causing $500,000 in fire damage to distract store staff.
ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Buena Park made an arrest in a suspected arson case, after a local Target store was set on fire on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Cynthia Torres, 40, was arrested after being accused of setting the store on fire to divert attention from her stealing baby formula, the Buena Park Police Department reported.
Torres was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 14, just a week after the fire ignited in a clothes rack in the children's section. The fire forced employees and customers to evacuate.
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The Target, located at 7530 Orangethorpe Ave., was temporarily closed as a result of the fire, according to a previous Patch report.
RELATED: Fire Breaks Out At OC Target Store, Shoppers Evacuated
Find out what's happening in Orange Countyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to Buena Park Police, the damage to the store was estimated to be between $500,000 to $1 million due to water and smoke damage.
No injuries were reported.
It was not immediately clear how authorities found Torres, nor was it immediately known if she remained in jail.
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