Shoreline man charged with setting fires to cover his shoplifting
SEATTLE - A Shoreline man has been charged with setting three fires, one of which caused $2-million in damage to a Sears store. Charging documents filed by the King County Prosecutor's office state that Vernon R. Quince set the July 18th fire in the home-fashions department at the Sears store, Prosecutors said that Quince allegedly used cologne to set mattress covers on fire. The fire set off the store's sprinkler system, which quickly extinguished the fire. However, dollar amount of damage from the smoke and water damage to the building, as well as lost business, totalled close to $2-million, prosecutor's office reported.
Sears store employees identified Quince from video surveillance footage, and previous contacts in which he allegedly shoplifted "fragrances, CDs and DVDs. The day after the Sears store fire, a loss prevention officer reviewed surveillance footage in which Quince allegedly took two boxes of men's cologne and carried them to the home fashions department. The fire started several minutes later, the charging documents stated.
Quince has also been charged with a December 2011 fire at a salon next to the King County Sheriff's office substation in Shoreline, and another fire at the Northgate Target on July 17 of this year.
Court documents state that Quince has been diagnosed with mental health problems. Quince remains in jail and bail has been set at $1-million.