From the Columbia Police Department
Columbia Police Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook and Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins announce the arrest of a 27-year-old man accused of setting fire inside a retail store last night.
Jarod Stacy is charged with Arson – Second Degree and at last check was still housed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on a $25,000 surety bond.
Stacy is also charged with identity fraud after providing Columbia Police with a wrong name during his arrest. According to police the identity fraud victim is not associated with the investigation
Case Recap:
Shortly before 11:00 p.m. on March 25, 2024, Columbia Police officers and fire crews were dispatched to the Walmart store located at 7520 Garners Ferry Road for a reported fire inside the building. Initially, employees were able to contain and extinguish the flames using fire extinguishers as CRFD crew headed to the scene. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries. According to store estimates, the fire caused approximately $30,000 in damages to miscellaneous merchandise.
A CPD officer who was working a special-duty assignment met with store employees. They viewed surveillance video of suspect Stacy allegedly setting fire to a Walmart store on Two Notch Road in the Richland County Sheriff Department’s jurisdiction the evening before.
After searching the store, the officer recognized the same suspect inside the Garners Ferry Road Walmart. During the attempt to detain the him, Stacy ran out of the store and tried to hide in a nearby wood line. With the assistance of additional CPD officers and a K-9 Team with RCSD, Stacy was located in the woods near the store and arrested.
All persons arrested/charged are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.
