By the Daily Post staff
UPDATE, APRIL 1 — A woman arrested on suspicion of starting a fire in Mountain View’s Target store is also suspected of arson at the Target in Alameda, authorities said. Beanna Garcia, 40, of Elk Grove, was arrested on Monday (March 29) in San Francisco, according to Mountain View police.
At 10:20 a.m. Monday, smoke started coming from the women’s clothing section of the Mountain View store at 555 Showers Drive, police said.
Employees extinguished the fire before police and firefighters arrived, police spokeswoman Katie Nelson said. The fire didn’t cause any serious damage, Nelson said.
After setting the fire, Garcia allegedly shoplifted various items from the store and drove away in a Hyundai sedan, Nelson said.
Detectives tracked her to San Francisco, where she was arrested Monday.
Garcia is the suspect in a similar arson on March 15 at the Alameda Target, 2700 Fifth St., according to Alameda police spokesman Lt. Brian Foster. In the Alameda case, Garcia is suspected of starting the fire and then shoplifting, Foster said.
Foster said Alameda police went to San Francisco to question Garcia after Mountain View police notified his department that Garcia was arrested.
ORIGINAL STORY, MARCH 29 — Mountain View Police are investigating the possibility of an arson fire at Target, 555 Showers Drive, after reports of smoke coming from the women’s clothing section at 10:20 a.m.
Employees extinguished the fire before police and firefighters arrived, police spokeswoman Katie Nelson said via email. The fire did not cause serious damage, she said.
Nelson said she did not have further information on the size of the fire or how many people were in the store.