A man from New Jersey is alleged to have executed an intricate jewelry robbery at a Walmart by setting a fire using camping fuel and fireworks in the children’s clothing area as a diversion.
Anthony J. Rhodes is now facing a multitude of charges related to arson and explosives, including first-degree arson and the creation of an explosive device. These charges are connected to an incident that occurred on April 29, as detailed in a statement from the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal.
Anthony Rhodes Accused of Setting Fire Inside Walmart
The Singerly Fire Company responded to a call at a Maryland Walmart around 7 p.m. on April 29, following reports of a fire inside the Pulaski Highway store. Although firefighters extinguished the flames swiftly, the State Fire Marshal’s Office was requested to investigate the fire’s origin.
Through store surveillance footage, investigators identified a masked individual entering the store with a backpack. This person proceeded to place a can of camping fuel and several boxes of fireworks into a shopping cart, igniting them beside the children’s clothing section, as reported by authorities.
As the fireworks erupted, the store underwent evacuation. During this chaos, investigators revealed that the suspect broke into a jewelry display, stealing various pieces worth almost $10,000, before exiting the store and fleeing on a motorcycle.
Although the immediate fire damage was estimated at about $5,000, Walmart representatives reported that the overall remediation and loss of inventory due to smoke and soot amounted to nearly $10 million, according to the statement.
Authorities said they were able to identify Rhodes as the suspect in the fire, in part, because of a Jefferson University Baseball t-shirt he was wearing at the time of the heist. He does not have any known connection to the college or its baseball team, authorities said.
“Working side-by-side with our ATF partners and Walmart Global Investigations, our team was able to identify a suspect quickly,” Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray said. “Investigations such as these require an all-hands approach, and I am proud of everyone who was able to bring this case to a close.”
Rhodes was arrested without incident on May 14 in New Jersey. He is currently being held at the Camden County Correctional Facility as he awaits extradition to Maryland. It’s unclear whether he has retained an attorney.
