A convenience store is having one unlucky crime streak.
Surveillance video from Ace Mart in Corpus Christi, Texas shows a suspected burglar break into the store early Monday morning.
Covered head to toe in a disguise, the man fills a duffel bag and backpack full of cigarettes and lottery scratch tickets.
Then in a move that has police scratching their heads, the man douses the countertop with lighter fluid and ignites it with a lighter.
“If you’re going to break in and steal, you know, that’s one thing,” store employee Felecia Villarreal told KZTV. “But to go as far as to set fire to the place, that just takes it to a whole other level.”
The surveillance video shows the smoke from the fire consume the shop. Corpus Christi Police said that the fire consumed most of the store.
“From looking at the video, it didn’t appear that he was trying to get rid of evidence,” Officer Marc Harrod told Global News, adding that the fire was a “strange event.”
Harrod said that Ace Mart has been the target of “at least two burglaries and a robbery since mid-June.” Police are investigating into the possibility of whether the previous crimes and the most recent are connected.
If caught, the suspect will face burglary and arson charges.
Authorities are appealing to the public for any tips, but said they will be tracking the stolen lottery tickets.
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