2010 Fire
On October 21, 2010, at around 10:30 am, a major fire occurred in the Galleria. The fire was started in the GameStop store and was caused by arson. The suspect had a backpack (filled with unknown items) and claimed to have a handgun when he entered the store. The suspect claimed that his "sister had been kidnapped by aliens", then told employees to exit the GameStop, at which point, he barricaded himself in the GameStop and set fire to the merchandise. SWAT, firemen and the police arrived after a call, and a standoff occurred outside the GameStop while the mall was evacuated. The suspect, Alexander Piggee, 23 years old at the time, was caught and arrested. The bomb squad had tried to search the backpack, but their attempt was stopped when the fire unexpectedly erupted again, after having been quieted down by the sprinklers. The fire caused significant damage to part of the mall, but was brought under control after approximately four hours. It has been reported that the night before he had set a fire in an Antelope Wal-Mart and police were already searching for him. Piggee had also set fire to his grandmother's house the week before the incident at the Galleria Mall. No injuries were reported during these incidents.
Extra firefighters from nearby communities were called in to help fight the fire. A total of 20 stores were destroyed by the fire, including the Gamestop, Anchor Blue, FYE, American Eagle Outfitters, and PacSun. A section of the roof also collapsed into the fire area. Damage is estimated by ATF officials at around $55 million. Though the majority of the building was left intact after the fire, the mall was closed for a week. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Placer County the day after the fire. Roseville city officials have said that as many as 40 stores in the undamaged sections of the mall reopened on Thursday, October 28. Another 80 Stores, including Macy's were re-opened by Thanksgiving and the 40 stores near the fire area plan to be reopened after the first of the year. On October 28 the undamaged part of the mall re-opened, and two days later a party was held at the mall to celebrate the reopening, as well as Halloween and to get support in the rebuilding of the mall. On October 6, 2011, the mall unveiled a renovation that included new lighting, new ceiling decor, new carpet and railings, and officially reopened the Macy's wing with a mix of new tenants and returning stores.
Alexander Piggee subsequently pleaded guilty to setting the fire, and Federal Judge John Mendez sentenced Piggee to 15 years, after which he will be on probation for 6 years. Both defense and prosecution attorneys had requested a sentence of 10 years, but Mendez issued a substantially longer sentence, calling Piggee a threat to public safety.
Read more about this topic: Westfield Galleria At Roseville
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