MORGANTOWN — The man police say set fire to Pathfinder of WV last month has been charged with arson.
Neil Puneet Kumar, 35, of Morgantown, is charged with second-degree arson and destruction of property.
Kumar was identified by a Morgantown Police Department officer who reviewed footage around the High Street store. The officer recognized him through previous encounters, a criminal complaint said.
The footage shows Kumar in front of the store in his motorized wheelchair and a different angle shows several flashes of light in front of his body, according to the criminal complaint. Kumar’s motions and body posture are consistent with using a lighter, the complaint said.
He was the only individual in the area at the time, the complaint said. Kumar can be seen leaving the area south on High Street as a large fire “quickly engulfs the boxes and garbage.”
Boxes and other garbage were stacked near Pathfinder’s door and on fire when the officer arrived just before 3 a.m. on April 12, the criminal complaint said. Two windows and a door were shattered and a kayak worth about $1,350 were also damaged.
