Teenager charged with attempted murder in Greenville Dollar General fire

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A 13-year-old has been charged with setting last week’s fire at a Dollar General store in Greenville.

Greenville police say the boy has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

The dollar store on Stantonsburg Road was destroyed in the fire Thursday evening. Police said the two employees inside the business were able to escape without any injuries.

A news release says the teen came into the store and lit merchandise on fire. The 13-year-old was taken into custody on Friday and remains at the Pitt Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

Police spokeswoman Kristen Hunter said the teen was caught using a combination of both city cameras and store surveillance cameras. She said they don’t have a motive, but at this time they do not believe the boy knew anyone inside the store.

Hunter said they consulted the district attorney and since the building was occupied at the time, they opted for the attempted murder charges.

The fire was fought by 40 firefighters and forced road closures as crews remained on the scene throughout the night to extinguish hot spots.

The SBI and the State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted Greenville with the investigation.

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