40-year-old woman set fire to Target to hide baby formula theft, California police say

A 40-year-old woman faces charges that she set fire to a Target store to cover up stealing baby formula, California police reported.

Investigators arrested the woman Tuesday, Sept. 12, following an investigation into the Sept. 5 blaze, Buena Park police said in a news release.

Firefighters and police responded to a fire inside the store at 7:16 p.m., police said. They doused a fire that appeared to be intentionally set in the clothing section of the store.

The store had to be evacuated during the fire, KABC reported.

An investigation “determined the fire was intentionally set during an attempt to steal baby formula” and led to the woman’s arrest, police said.

The fire caused $1.5 million in damage to the Target store, including $1 million in mostly smoke and water damage to retail products, police said.

An investigation into the blaze continues, police said.

Buena Park is about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published September 13, 2023 at 8:19 AM with the headline "40-year-old woman set fire to Target to hide baby formula theft, California police say."