Video shows one of the three fires set at Leeds Walmart; Suspect in custody

THIS IS A CHAOTIC SCENE OVER THE WEEKEND AT A WALMART IN LEEDS WHERE THREE SEPARATE FIRES WERE STARTED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STORE. YEAH, THAT VIDEO THAT YOU JUST SAW WAS FROM A VIEWER AND IT SHOWS JUST ONE OF THE FIRES. POLICE SAY A FORMER EMPLOYEE IS NOW FACING CHARGES WVTM 13, CHIP SCARBOROUGH IS LIVE IN LEEDS FOR US TONIGHT. AND CHIP INVESTIGATORS SAY THE SUSPECT’S PLAN DIDN’T EXACTLY PAN OUT. NO, IT SURE DIDN’T. SHERI. AND THE POLICE CHIEF HERE IN LEEDS SAYS THE SUSPECT, A FORMER WORKER AT THE WALMART, SET THE STORE ON FIRE. SO SHE COULD STEAL A BASKETFUL OF ITEMS WHILE WORKERS WERE DISTRACTED BY THE FIRE. I MEAN, AT FIRST I WAS JUST LIKE, WHOA, THAT WAS HEATHER HUDSPETH REACTION WHEN WE SHOWED HER VIDEO OF ONE OF THREE FIRES INSIDE OF THE LEEDS WALMART ON SATURDAY NIGHT FIRES POLICE SAY WERE INTENTIONALLY SET. HUDSPETH WORKS ACROSS THE PARKING LOT FROM THE WALMART. YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL LIKE IF YOU WANT TO STEAL OR WHATEVER YOUR MOTIVE WAS, MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE GOT A GO FUND ME ACCOUNT. I MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER. POLICE CHIEF PAUL IRWIN SAYS JAIL OFTEN FACES A NUMBER OF CHARGES, INCLUDING ARSON, THEFT, CRIMINAL MISCHIEF AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT. IRWIN SAYS FEIN SET ONE FIRE IN THE BATHROOM, BUT WHEN IT DIDN’T CAUSE A MAJOR DISTRACTION, SHE SET TWO MORE IN THE CLOTHING AREA. IT APPEARS THAT SHE STOLE MOSTLY WOMEN’S CLOTHING AND MAKEUP, AND THEN SHE STOLE SOME FOOD, SOME PROTEIN AND SOME DIFFERENT COSMETIC PRODUCTS. FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN THE AREA, THEY SAY IT IS UNUSUAL FOR ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY TO HAPPEN HERE. AND THINGS CERTAINLY LOOKED NORMAL OUTSIDE OF THE WALMART ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. YEAH, THIS IS A GOOD COMMUNITY. LIKE IT’S VERY SUBTLE AND VERY QUIET AND THEY’RE VERY PROTECTIVE OF THEIR THEIR COMMUNITY. SO, YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, THEY’RE GOING TO BE ON IT. BUT THE CHIEF SAYS IT WILL BE QUITE A WHILE BEFORE THINGS ARE FULLY BACK TO NORMAL ON THE INSIDE AS THE STORE IS NOW DEALING WITH OVER $100,000 IN DAMAGES, DAMAGE TO MERCHANDISE AND PRODUCTS THAT WERE DAMAGED. AND ALSO THE COST OF THE STORE BEING CLOSED, THE COST OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE SMOKE DAMAGED. SO WALMART IS GOING TO LOSE A LOT ON THIS. THE BEST NEWS IN ALL OF THIS, THOUGH, IS THAT NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT. THE POLICE CHIEF TELLS ME A SECOND PERSON WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, BUT ULTIMATELY CLEARED OF ANY WRONGDOING. LIVE IN LEEDS IN SAINT CLAIR COUNTY.