A Dollar General store manager is facing charges after officials accused her of stealing from the store and then setting it on fire.
Kay Yvette Taylor, 41, of Douglas, is charged with theft by taking and first-degree arson in the case, the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire commissioner said Wednesday in a news release.
The charges stem from a fire that damaged the store in the 1200 block of U.S. 221 in Douglas.
Officials were sent to the location about 10:40 a.m. Aug. 17 and found the inside of it ablaze, Commissioner John F. King said. Two separate fires had been set, he said.
The damage to the outside of the building was moderate, but the interior suffered major damage. The fire was set while customers were still inside, King said.
“It is estimated that the damages to the contents of the store are in excess of $300,000 and damages to the structure are in excess of $399,000,” he said.
Officials at the scene found that a $3,300 cash deposit had been taken from the store. Investigators said the fires were set to distract from the theft.
Taylor was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Coffee County Jail, according to King. First-degree arson is a felony, and if Taylor is convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine, he said.
Anyone with information on the case or who may have been at the Dollar General store the morning of the fire is asked to call the arson hotline at 1-800-282-5804.
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