Pine Island Man Sentenced for Starting Fire at Rochester Home Depot

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Pine Island man has been sentenced for a fire he was accused of starting at a Rochester store. 

Read More: Pine Island Man Pleads Guilty in Rochester Arson Case 

38-year-old John Michael Thomforde entered a plea agreement this past November, agreeing to admit to an amended third-degree arson charge.

He was originally charged with first-degree arson. 

Pine Island Man Sentenced for Arson Conviction Stemming from Home Depot Fire

Thomforde was accused of starting a fire in the Rochester Home Depot store on the evening of May 23, 2024. 

The criminal complaint in the case includes statements from several witnesses who saw a customer, later identified as Thomforde, engaging in suspicious behavior in the area where the fire started. 

Witnesses reported seeing Thomforde abandon a shopping cart, then return to it and select a large amount of high-value items. 

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The court document says one witness told investigators that Thomforde had been in the store for several hours before the fire started and was the last person present in the aisle where the witness spotted smoke. 

See Also: One Killed, One Arrested Following Rochester Shooting 

Another witness noticed similar behavior and saw the suspect carrying a butane torch. The complaint also says a third witness reported seeing the suspect in the area of the fire with a lighter. 

The court document states Thomforde admitted he was in the store when the fire occurred. It also says he initially denied starting the fire but later told an investigator that “it’s a possibility, as he hears voices and had used drugs that day.” 

A news release issued by the Rochester Fire Department shortly after the fire said crews found an active fire in the racks stationed in the back of the building. 

The fire department said someone had lit cardboard on fire and that the store’s fire alarm was pulled to trigger an evacuation. No injuries were reported. 

Thomforde was sentenced to five years probation on Monday. He is scheduled to appear at a restitution hearing in May.

Correction: a previous version of this story said the stores "firearm was pulled to trigger an evacuation"