Arson: Man sets store on fire to keep Arabs out
Florida police charge 64-year-old man with arson after he attempted to set shop ablaze to ‘run the Arabs out of our country’.
Richard Leslie Lioyd faces a first degree arson charge after attempting to set a convenience store ablaze because he thought it was owned by Muslims.
Lloyd told police he tried to light the Port St Lucie shop on fire to “run the Arabs out of our country”, according to news reports on Sunday.
According police, however, the shop owners were of Indian descent.
Local television channel WPTV reported that Lloyd was mad at Arabs “due to what they are doing in the Middle East”.
The intended target was the Met Mart store in the town 180km north of the city of Miami.
According to police, Lloyd carried out the attack on Friday morning while the shop was still closed.
Police said Lloyd was hoping by setting a garbage bin on fire he would ignite a bigger blaze targeting the shop.
“When the deputies arrived, they noticed the dumpster had been rolled in front of the doors and the contents were lit on fire,” Sheriff Ken J Mascara was quoted as saying in a statement. (Adapted from a USA today report)
