ST. CLOUD — It was simply one other Monday morning for an 18-year-old East African St. Cloud resident. However when she observed flames popping out from the again of her automobile, her day was about to vary.
The lady advised the St. Cloud Instances {that a} man, later recognized as James John Arthur Lund, allegedly approached her 2024 Hyundai Tucson, poured rubbing alcohol on it and set the car on fireplace as she waited within the 2505 W. Division St. Walgreens drive-thru. The motive force then received out of the automobile and used a water bottle to place out the flames.
As the lady received out of the automobile, she alleges the person yelled at her to cowl damages along with her insurance coverage then he continued throughout the road the place he allegedly poured a liquid on one other car however did not set it on fireplace.
The lady referred to as 911 at roughly 10 a.m. Police then responded to the decision and situated Lund at round 10:30 a.m. close to twenty second Avenue and Freeway 23, ultimately taking him into custody, in line with police paperwork. Lund, 39, is being held on the Stearns County Jail below third-degree arson and fifth-degree drug possession expenses.
“It was one thing that caught me off guard,” the lady stated. “It was a really scary expertise since I used to be within the automobile when he lit it up.”
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The 18-year-old stated she has by no means personally skilled any hate crimes or harassment. She is hesitant to label this incident as race-related as a result of the person approached from behind and could not instantly see her face. However, she does not rule out the chance as he might have seen her hijab’s define.
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“I actually don’t know (if this was race-related),” the 18-year-old stated. “Possibly it was a racial crime, or possibly he did it out of the blue…I’ve by no means skilled any hate crimes, although I believe it might’ve been as a result of I used to be carrying my (hijab).”
A court docket listening to has but to be scheduled for Lund, in line with Tuesday morning’s court docket docket.
Corey Schmidt covers native authorities for the St. Cloud Instances. He will be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.
