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Armed Arson Suspect Brought Flaming Propane Tank Into Tampa Restaurant: Watch

A man armed with kitchen knives was arrested for setting a Tampa restaurant on fire with a flaming propane tank, Hillsborough deputies said.

A man armed with kitchen knives was arrested for setting a Tampa restaurant on fire with a flaming propane tank, Hillsborough County deputies said. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)

TAMPA, FL — An armed man was arrested after bringing a flaming propane tank into a Tampa restaurant on Tuesday morning, setting it on fire, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. (Watch a video of the suspect bringing the propane tank into the restaurant and his arrest below.)

Rubiel Maceo Castillo, 53, faces multiple charges, including arson of an occupied structure, a first-degree felony.

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Deputies responded to the restaurant on West Waters Avenue around 8:45 a.m. after receiving a call about an assault or battery in progress there.

When they arrived, they found the restaurant filled with smoke and flames, while the propane tank was also on fire outside the building, the sheriff’s office said.

They also saw Castillo inside the restaurant holding two knives.

The deputies commanded him to drop the weapons and leave the building, before arresting him.

Watch surveillance video and deputy-worn body camera footage from the incident:

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