Turns Out Walmart Arson Was Shoplifting Gone Stupid

Remember when we all found out the Fred Meyer fire was started as a diversion so the suspect could make off with stolen merchandise?

Okay, so that was supposed to be the way the arson at Walmart in Richland went down. But when Chris Crappa (left) and Aaron Cockrill (right) started the fire, it triggered the fire alarm which locked the doors they were going to exit through.

So, they were forced to cut their losses and bail. The problem for Cockrill was his inability to stay low. I mean, come on dude. You just started a high profile fire that everyone in town is talking about. The news has your picture plastered on everyone's phone screens and TVs. He got picked up by Pasco PD trying to steal gas cans. He then told the contacting police officer out of nowhere, that Richland police would probably want to talk to him about the Walmart fire. Thankfully, he's an idiot, right?

He admitted to being at Walmart but used the "I'm too drunk to remember if I did anything" excuse. It's a classic one. To be fair, he kinda looks drunk in the picture.

Look at it this way, if they just tried to shoplift: it's a gross misdemeanor. The maximum punishment is less than a year in jail (364 days) and a $5,000 fine. For the arson, (which I'm guessing would be a second-degree) the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. They better hope it's not first-degree. The standard sentence is between 3-3.5 years, but some see a life sentence.