A Minnesota restaurant owner is facing felony arson and insurance fraud charges for allegedly burning her business.
The Caribou Grill in Hallock, Minn., burned February 21, with customers narrowly escaping the blaze, according to a report by The Grand Forks Herald. The restaurant’s owner, Tamara Marie Devore, 50, has been accused of starting the blaze.
The fire started in a storage room, but there were no accidental ignition sources near the ignition point, the Herald reported. However, video surveillance allegedly showed Devore leaving the storage room just one minute before heavy smoke began pouring from it. No-one else was near the room for more than a half an hour before the fire began, authorities said.
Devore allegedly filed an insurance claim for more than $35,000 following the blaze.
If convicted, Devore could face up to 20 years in prison for each charge, the Herald reported.
