Homicide Ruling Could Add to Charges Against Rochester Man
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A determination issued today by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner could lead to additional charges against a Rochester man accused of burning down a pawn shop during the rioting in Minneapolis in late May.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner released the identity of the man whose body was found in the rubble of the building in July and ruled his death was a homicide. A statement says 30-year-old Oscar Stewart of Burnsville died as the result of "probable inhalation of products of combustion and thermal injury from an intentional building fire."
25-year-old Montez Lee is currently facing an arson charge in federal court for allegedly starting the fire. The charges say investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives received an anonymous video showing a masked man pouring liquid from a metal container throughout the business. A second video shows the Rochester man standing in front of the burning pawnshop saying "We're gonna burn this (expletive} down.
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