March 12 (UPI) — A man told investigators he set a convenience store on fire in South Florida to “run the Arabs out of our country.”
Richard Leslie Lloyd, 64, mistakenly thought the owners of the Met Mart in Port St. Lucie were Muslims.
“It’s unfortunate that Mr. Lloyd made the assumption that the store owners were Muslim when, in fact, they are of Indian descent,” Sheriff Ken Mascara said to WPEC-TV. “Regardless, we will not tolerate violence based on age, race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, mental or physical disability.”
Lloyd was arrested and is charged with first-degree arson of a dwelling with people present. On Sunday, he was being held in the county jail on a $30,000 bond.
Investigators responded shortly after 7:30 a.m. Friday to reports of a suspicious person at the convenience store.
Lloyd pushed a dumpster to the front of the building and lit its contents, according to the arrest affidavit. He also tore down some signs.
The fire caused “visible smoke damage” to the front of the store, which was not open at the time.
Lloyd admitted to having a long history of mental health issues, according to the report.
Lloyd’s mental health will be evaluated and the State Attorney’s Office will determine whether the incident is an intentional hate crime, the sheriff’s office said.
Lloyd told investigators he went to the store a few days earlier to buy a bottle of Tropicana Orange Pineapple Juice. After learning the store didn’t sell it, he became angry. And Lloyd also said he was mad because the “worker was Arab” and he assumed him to be Muslim, according to the report.
Lloyd said he “was doing his part for America” and said he wanted to “run them out of America” for “what they’re doing in the Middle East,” according to the arrest affidavit.
