Accused arsonist who torched Walmart clothing rack is arrested, SC cops say

Deputies have charged a man they say set fire to a clothing rack inside a South Carolina Walmart, forcing the evacuation and temporary closure of the store. 

Russell William Geddings was arrested Wednesday and charged in connection with the Dec. 5 fire, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday. The exact charges Geddings faces were not immediately available. 

The fire happened just after midnight on Dec. 5 at the Walmart on the 508 Bypass in Greenwood, sheriff’s officials said at the time. A then-unidentified man entered the store and set fire to a clothing carousel. 

The fire forced the evacuation of the store, and deputies said the suspect exited the store with the crowd and then watched from afar as emergency responders arrived. 

This story was originally published December 13, 2018 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Accused arsonist who torched Walmart clothing rack is arrested, SC cops say."