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Last updated on Monday, December 22, 2014
(BEDFORD) - Dunham’s will not reopen till February.
In a press release, Vice President of Advertising and Marketing John Oehler, released the following announcement:
"Due to the unfortunate fire that happened on Friday, Dec. 12, the Bedford, Indiana, location (at 1018 James Ave.) will be closed until further notice.
"In the past few days we have been able to get into the store and assess the damage done by the fire. It looks as though most of the merchandise in the store was damaged due to the heavy amount of smoke and will have to be taken out.
"Once that has happened, we will get the needed crews in to start the cleaning and repair process. When we are satisfied with the clean-up, we then can start to bring in new merchandise to restock the store.
"The business is deeply saddened by not being able to serve the Bedford community during the holiday period.
"We also realize that the early part of the year is when youth sport registrations happen and coaches will be looking for ways to save the team money when having to buy new equipment. As in the past, coaches of youth sports teams wanting to sign their teams up for money saving weekends can do so by signing them up at www.dunhamssports.com/team." Oehler added. "Feel free to schedule a weekend starting in February, and if there are any complications we will reach out to you to reschedule."
The fire was reported at 4:48 p.m. Dec. 12.
23-year-old Dustin Taylor of Heltonville was arrested after he was caught setting a fire at Walmart. He is also a suspect in setting a fire at Dunham's.
According to Bedford Police Chief Dennis Parsley, officers arrested Taylor after they caught him starting a fire in a restroom at the back of the Walmart store early Dec.13.
Officers were at Walmart investigating the Dunham fire when they were notified that Taylor was in the store and had entered the rear bathroom.
"When the officer entered the restroom they found Taylor had started a small fire," Parsley added. "Officers extinguished the fire and placed Mr. Taylor under arrest."
According to police, Taylor is accused of entering the Dunham store at 4:48 p.m. Dec. 12th and lighting some cardboard on fire at the rear of the store near the where the guns and ammunition are displayed in the store.
"The store's manager, armed with fire extinguishers, doused the flames but not before the store was filled with smoke setting off the store's sprinkler system," Parsley says.
The Bedford Fire Department was alerted and spent hours ventilating the building.
Detectives began reviewing in-store video and also found evidence at the scene that led them to Walmart to review store security video there.
"That is when they were informed the person they were looking for was in the store and had entered the restroom at the rear of the store," Pasley added. "When they entered the restroom they caught Mr. Taylor in the act of setting yet another fire."
Taylor was arrested without incident and no one was injured in either fire.
Taylor is also facing two charges of theft from an earlier incident along with two counts of arson.
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