Arrest made in Coor's Bait & Tackle fire
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on November 19, 2016 4:17 PM
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News-Argus/ETHAN SMITH
Authorities arrested a man suspected of burning Coor's Bait & Tackle to the ground Thursday morning after spotting items stolen from the business in his car during a traffic stop.
Capt. Richard Lewis of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said deputies stopped Matthew Eubanks, 20, of Slick Rock Road, on Potts Road Thursday night.
Deputies spotted boxes of ammunition in Eubanks' car that were reported stolen from the business and he consented to a search, Lewis said.
More allegedly stolen boxes of ammunition were found during the search, and Eubanks was arrested, Lewis said.
"A traffic stop was made and in plain view in the car were items we were familiar with as likely having been stolen from the business," Lewis said.
Eubanks is charged with breaking and entering, larceny and unlawful burning, and is being held in the Wayne County Detention Center under a $35,000 secured bond.
Lewis could not confirm Saturday afternoon why Eubanks was initially stopped.
Eubanks has not given authorities a motive for the alleged burning, Lewis said.
The El-Roy Fire Department, Arrington Volunteer Fire Department, New Hope Fire Department and Seven Springs Fire Department responded to the fire at 312 Spring Bank Road around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.
Assistant El-Roy Fire Chief Chad Cobb said at the scene the blaze burned for around 30 minutes before firefighters could get it under control.
Coor's Bait & Tackle owner Mollie Coor said the business will not reopen after the fire destroyed the building and left most of it in ashes.