Sedgewickville man arrested in 2005 J.C. Penney fire

A Cape Girardeau federal grand jury has indicted a Sedgewickville, Mo., man this week for the fire at J.C. Penney's in West Park Mall on Sept. 2, 2005.

According to a Cape Girardeau Police Department news release, Daniel E. Vance Jr., 22, is charged with maliciously causing damage by fire (arson). He was arrested by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives on Wednesday and posted $10,000 bond.

Vance has an initial court appearance at 10 a.m. March 26 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lewis M. Blanton. If convicted, Vance faces up to 20 years' imprisonment.

The fire occurred at about 7:40 p.m. on the Friday of the Labor Day weekend, causing an estimated $1 million to $2 million in damage. Customers and employees were evacuated from the store and surrounding businesses while the Cape Girardeau Fire Department extinguished the fire.

Vance was an employee of the store at the time of the incident and was fired two weeks later, Sgt. Barry Hovis said.

The arrest was a result of a joint investigation by the ATF, the state fire marshal and the Cape Girardeau Police Department.