Police arrest woman accused of arson at Buffalo Grove grocery store

Police have arrested a woman after she allegedly committed a small-scale arson at a Buffalo Grove grocery store while dozens of customers were shopping Wednesday night.

The Buffalo Grove Police Department responded around 10:37 p.m. Wednesday to Woodman’s Food Market, 1550 Deerfield Parkway in Buffalo Grove, for a report of criminal damage to property.

A 911 caller reported that a fire had been located and extinguished in the men’s restroom, police officials said.

Prosecutors said a customer who arrived at the scene of the fire put it out with a jug of water and reported the incident to an employee.

Officers arrived and confirmed that the fire was already out, but damage was noted in a toilet cubicle and the surrounding area of ​​the toilet.

Officers reviewed security footage from the store, which showed a subject, later identified as Kiara Davis, 29, of Norfolk, Virginia, entering the restroom just before the fire was reported, police officials said.

Prosecutors said the customer who reported the fire entered the men’s restroom just minutes after Davis left the restroom.

In the video, the customer was seen running out of the toilet and grabbing the water jug ​​before going back inside to put out the fire.

The 24-hour grocery store had at least 40 customers inside the store at the time of the fire, prosecutors said.

Davis was located around 1 a.m. Thursday in the grocery store parking lot and arrested by officers.

She complained of stomach ache and headache and called for an ambulance.

Davis was taken to a local hospital in police custody and later turned over to police.

Prosecutors said Davis is suspected in two other arsons in Buffalo Grove, both of which are still under investigation.

The Lake County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved one count of aggravated arson in the presence of persons, a Class X felony, for the Woodman fire.

Davis appeared Thursday morning in Waukegan First Appearance Court before Lake County Judge Raymond Collins.

The state attorney’s office filed a motion to detain Davis pending trial.

The judge remanded Davis to the Lake County Jail pending a detention hearing, which he scheduled for Monday afternoon.