Child takes lighter off Walmart shelf, sets fire to accessory aisles, Louisiana cops say

A child wandered off on her own in a Walmart, grabbed a lighter and set a fire that spread to two aisles, according to a Louisiana sheriff’s office.

The child, who deputies say is “elementary-age,” entered the Jefferson store at around 9 p.m. on May 30 with an adult woman and a toddler, according to a statement from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

At some point, the elementary-aged child went to the bathroom without supervision, deputies said.

Just before 9:40 p.m., the child “took a lighter from a display near a register” and walked to an aisle with women’s accessories. She then lit at least one fire that spread to two aisles of merchandise, the statement said.

The flames also set off the store’s fire suppression system, which caused a “large amount” of water damage to the store.

After she set the fire, deputies said the child ran through the store to find the woman with whom she entered. The child, the woman and the toddler all left the store and drove away in a silver four-door sedan.

Deputies are seeking to identify the group, but because of the apparent age of the child, no criminal charges are expected to be filed.

Jefferson is about 6 miles west of New Orleans.

This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Child takes lighter off Walmart shelf, sets fire to accessory aisles, Louisiana cops say."