A 47-year-old man with a prior conviction for arson has been arrested after Winnipeg police say he set a fire inside the St. Vital Walmart on Monday evening, causing millions of dollars worth of damage.
Police allege Ronald Marmito Amigo went to the bedding section in the St. Vital mall store just before 7 p.m. and set fire to products, according to a Thursday news release. The fire quickly spread, sending thick, black smoke through the store, according to police.
As it spread, Amigo, 47, went to a fast-food restaurant attached to the store, where he “helped himself to a beverage from the soft drink machine and sat down at one of the tables,” police said.
Within moments, roughly 150 to 200 customers and staff were evacuated from the store, police said. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded and put the fire out.
The damage caused by the blaze is estimated at more than $10 million, police say.
Fans clear out smoke on Monday night. Police say 150 to 200 customers and staff had to evacuate the store. (Trevor Brine/CBC)
The Winnipeg police major crimes unit began investigating, and Amigo was arrested in the 300 block of Furby Street, near Portage Avenue, on Thursday.
Police say he had a small amount of methamphetamine and a lighter on him when he was arrested, which were seized as evidence.
Amigo has been charged with several offences, including arson with disregard for human life, arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material.
He was also charged with theft under $5,000, possession of methamphetamine and two counts of failure to comply with a probation order.
Provincial court records show Amigo pleaded guilty to a charge of arson to property a year ago and was given a 10-month jail sentence, which was largely counted as time served from the date of his arrest for that January 2025 fire.
At the time of this week’s Walmart fire, Amigo was wanted for failing to attend court and was subject to a supervised probation order handed to him as a result of the arson conviction, according to the court records.
He has been detained in custody.