An American baseball team woke up stranded in Canada after somebody torched its charter bus outside a Winnipeg ballpark in the middle of the night.
By sunrise, the Kane County Cougars had lost uniforms, equipment and personal belongings in a fire police later said was intentionally set.
Authorities eventually charged a 15-year-old Canadian girl with arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material.
The Cougars had traveled north for a series against the Winnipeg Goldeyes when the fire erupted outside Blue Cross Park around 1:50 a.m. on May 21.
Police and firefighters arrived to find the team’s 56-seat bus swallowed by flames.
Hours earlier, the Cougars had finished the second game of a three-game set against Winnipeg.
Players and coaches were asleep at a nearby hotel when the bus caught fire.
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Investigators later concluded the fire had been deliberately set.
According to police, a bystander spotted somebody inside the burning vehicle and helped them escape before emergency crews arrived.
Two teenagers were initially detained before authorities formally charged the 15-year-old girl. Police later released her into the custody of a responsible adult.
“The entire bus and contents were destroyed,” Winnipeg Police Service said.
The fire wiped out baseball gear, luggage and team property. No injuries were reported.
“We are very disappointed that this could happen to our family-owned company, and the loss of this vehicle will impact our business and operations,” Windstar operations manager Jackson Greteman told CBC Lite.
“We are happy that no one was hurt in this reckless act of vandalism and are co-operating with local authorities.”
Greteman estimated the damage at roughly $425,000.
The Winnipeg Goldeyes later helped secure replacement transportation so the Cougars could continue traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, for another series.
The bus company, Windstar, also arranged transportation to return the team to Illinois after the road trip. Police have not discussed a possible motive.
Hundreds of miles away, authorities in Maryland accused a New Jersey man of turning a Walmart into chaos with fireworks and camping fuel before allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in jewelry.
Investigators said Anthony J. Rhodes, 36, walked into a Walmart in Elkton, Maryland, carrying a backpack while pushing a shopping cart packed with fuel containers and fireworks.
Security footage allegedly showed Rhodes abandoning the cart near the children’s clothing section before igniting it. Customers fled as flames and explosions tore through the store.
During the panic, investigators said the suspect smashed a jewelry counter, grabbed nearly $10,000 in merchandise and sped away on a motorcycle.
Fire crews eventually contained the blaze. While direct fire damage was estimated around $5,000, Walmart later reported roughly $10 million in smoke and soot damage to inventory.
Authorities charged Rhodes with first-degree arson and manufacturing an explosive device.
Officials said investigators identified Rhodes in part because he wore a Jefferson University Baseball T-shirt during the incident. Authorities said Rhodes had no connection to the university.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined Walmart Global Investigations and the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office during the case.
“Working side-by-side with our ATF partners and Walmart Global Investigations, our team was able to identify a suspect quickly,” acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray said.
“Investigations such as these require an all-hands approach, and I am proud of everyone who was able to bring this case to a close.”
Authorities have not released information discussing whether Rhodes has military or law enforcement training.
In Pennsylvania, another fire turned deadly after police accused a man of torching a house when a woman rejected him.
Authorities said Robert Shane Zimmerman arrived at a Lewistown residence late Wednesday night to confess his love to a woman living in the attic.
Instead, police said the night spiraled into arson, severe injuries and homicide.
Officers responded around 11:55 p.m. after reports of a house fire with people trapped inside.
Residents immediately told police the blaze had been intentionally set. One man escaped by jumping from the second floor.
Authorities said he suffered severe facial injuries and internal burns to his throat before being airlifted to a trauma center.
The man reportedly told officers his girlfriend remained trapped inside the building.
Another woman was seriously injured after smoke inhalation caused her to collapse onto a concrete sidewalk below.
Investigators later discovered 44-year-old Brandy Phillippe dead inside the home.
According to the coroner’s office, Phillippe appeared to have attempted to escape before becoming trapped.
Police said witnesses described Zimmerman becoming furious after the woman rejected him.
“It was reported that Zimmerman became upset when he was rejected by the female and he began setting several items on fire on the first floor of the residence,” police said.
The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal later ruled the blaze an arson.
Witnesses also reportedly told investigators they heard Zimmerman admit to starting the fire while watching the house burn from a nearby alley.
Zimmerman was later jailed on multiple charges, including arson.
Phillippe’s death is being investigated as a homicide, according to the coroner’s office.
