YORK, Pa. — A York County man has been charged with trying to start a fire at a Burlington Coat Factory in West Manchester Township last month, police said.
Douglas Edward Frock, 60, is charged with a felony count of arson endangering property, a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, and summary violations of public drunkenness and dangerous burning, according to West Manchester Township Police.
The alleged incident occurred on December 18 at the retail store, located on the 400 block of Town Center Drive.
Police say Frock, who was in a wheelchair, set a small fire in the lobby of the store. He claimed the fire was started accidentally when he placed a lit cigarette in a plastic bag that was on the lobby floor.
But police reviewed surveillance video that indicated Frock, who was "heavily intoxicated," deliberately lit a small piece of paper on fire and placed it in the bag.
A customer who was walking by saw what Frock was doing and stepped on the fire before it could spread, police said.
Frock allegedly had three half-gallon bottles of vodka in his possession at the time of his arrest, according to police. One of the bottles was only 3/4 full, police claim.
Frock exhibited signs of intoxication such as loss of motor skills, slurred speech, and loss of bladder control, police said.
The lobby carpet sustained slight damage from the fire, police claim.
Frock was transported to a nearby medical facility for a checkup before he was taken to Central Booking for arraignment.
