By Jim Smith

Butler Eagle Staff Writer

EAST FRANKLIN TWP, Armstrong County — An employee responsible for stopping shoplifters is accused of deliberately setting a weekend fire inside the Walmart store at the Hilltop Plaza in the township.

Investigators said that shortly after setting the fire about 8:45 p.m. Saturday in the men’s clothing section, the suspect --- 21-year-old Tanner S. Stroupe of Kittanning — was one of the employees who rushed in with fire extinguishers to put out the small blaze.

Authorities suspect Stroupe also vandalized the store’s sprinkler system hours after firefighters and police had left, causing a men’s restroom and an office to flood.

The defendant, a loss prevention officer, was arraigned on charges of arson, risking a catastrophe, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and theft. He is being held in the Armstrong County Jail on $100,000 bail.

Employees noticed the fire and deployed extinguishers to quickly contain the blaze.

Stroupe was captured on the store surveillance video system running with an extinguisher toward the fire, Kenney said.

Two employees, including a 63-year-old Ford City woman, suffered minor injuries after apparently inhaling smoke or, perhaps, the dry chemical powder present in the fire extinguishers, authorities said.

Ambulance crews treated the employees in the parking lot.

Police estimated damage at $10,000.

The troopers and firefighters left about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. But two hours later, they were back — this time after Stroupe allegedly broke a sprinkler in a back restroom.

Firefighters cleaned up the water that flooded the restroom and left again.

But they were back one more time, officials said, after Stroupe apparently broke another sprinkler, this one in an office that contained computers and other equipment.