A clumsy arsonist set himself on fire while trying to burn down a grocery store in Argentina.
The suspect was caught on camera approaching Villa Fox Market in Zárate, Buenos Aires and dousing the entrance with a flammable liquid, surveillance footage showed
He then began to pour the liquid from the canister over a canopy and lit a lighter over the wet canvas.
The flames covered canopy and the ground and spread towards the entrance as the suspect stepped forward.
The video showed the suspect, who disguised his identity with a hat and hoodie, running away while his hand, foot and the container were on fire.
Moments later, the owner of a neighboring shop was seen on video tossing water on the flames before the fire department arrived.
The incident took place the evening of July 6 but the suspect remained on the run as of Monday.
The owner of Villa Fox Market, who was identified as Carlos, told Somos AMBA TV, that he was grateful for his quick neighbor’s response.
An arsonist set fire to a grocery store in Argentina and in the process got himself partially covered in flames as he fled. The incident occurred July 6, but authorities have yet to make any arrest
The store owner is said to have been involved in a dispute with his former girlfriend and her son, and now authorities are investigating if the old quarrel motivated the arson attack
The owner of a nearby shop assisted with putting up the flames until firefighters arrived
‘When I arrived, there were neighbors there, and the firefighters were on their way,’ he said.
‘A neighboring business owner threw buckets of water at the fire to control it. Luckily, it didn’t get inside the store.’
Law enforcement sources told online news portal Infobae that the store owner mentioned that he had been involved in a dispute with his former girlfriend and her son.
The prosecutor handling the case is looking into whether the quarrel between both parties may been related to the arson attack.
It’s unclear how badly injured the arsonist was in the blaze.
