HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A Gloucester man was arrested and charged with arson after investigators said he started the fire that damaged a Henrico County car wash.
Pictures released by the Henrico Fire Marshals Office showed Ryan Housman inside the Splash In Car Wash along E. Parham Road on Monday, Dec. 16.
"Credit to the Splash In and neighboring businesses for providing video to Henrico Fire so quickly after the fire,” Deputy Fire Marshal Justin Finan said. “Footage shows an individual entering the bay of the car wash at approximately 8:50 a.m. on Monday. The individual — who we identified as Mr. Housman — is seen in the bay of the car wash using a lighter to set fire to large brushes."
Finan said Housman was in the car wash for about an hour "lighting small fires and patting them out until one fire spread out of his control."
“The last fire grew too large to be swatted out by hand and ultimately engulfed the car wash, eventually burning through the roof,” Finan said.
After the fire began to burn, Housman walked to the nearby Walmart where he was detained for shoplifting.
"The loss prevention officers and Henrico Police did great work,” Finan said. “Their investigation, while unrelated to the fire, revealed that Mr. Housman had several lighters in his backpack and burns on his sweatshirt, undershirt, and gloves. Those factors, combined with video evidence, helped the Fire Marshal’s Office conclude its investigation and bring charges against Mr. Housman."
Housman, 32, was charged with one count of felony arson in relation to the car wash fire. He was also charged with larceny and drug possession.
Anyone with additional information was asked to call the Henrico Fire Marshal’s Office at 804-501-4900.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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