HIALEAH, Fla. – Two shopping carts filled with garbage were set on fire by a homeless woman in Hialeah Tuesday night, first responders confirmed to Local 10 News.
According to Lt. Carlos González, of the Hialeah Fire Department, firefighters responded to the CVS at 101 Hialeah Drive after receiving reports about a shopping cart on fire.
Recommended Videos
He said within five minutes, the manager of the Publix across the street called firefighters over as they were putting away their equipment, saying a shopping cart behind the Publix was on fire.
Lt. Eddie Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Hialeah Police Department, identified the suspect as 37-year-old Maria Zaldiva on Wednesday morning.
A CVS employee told police that she was involved in a verbal dispute with Zaldiva, when Zaldiva threatened to set the building on fire before walking away, according to Rodriguez.
Several minutes later, police said the employee went around back to the dumpster, where she found a shopping cart on fire up against the fence and called 911.
Authorities said both fires were extinguished and no injuries were reported.
A Local 10 News photojournalist was at the scene Wednesday morning when Zaldiva was handcuffed and placed in the back of a Hialeah police car.
According to police, Zaldiva was taken into custody and faces one count of first-degree arson.
As of Wednesday, she is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond has yet to be determined at this time.