Accused Halloween aisle arsonist arrested

MARRERO, LA — The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office says it has arrested a suspect in a recent arson investigation.

The crime happened on  Wednesday, September 19, at the Walmart store in the 4800 block of Lapalco Boulevard in Marrero.  Deputies say a man entered the store at about 8:40 that morning and  wandered the aisles aimlessly for about 30 minutes.  Then they say he started a fire in the  seasonal section of the store which was full of Halloween merchandize.

Deputies released security camera footage of the suspect as well as the car they say he used to make his getaway.

The suspect who was arrested in the case is identified as 18-year-old Jerrold Jackson of Marrero.  Deputies say Jackson surrendered after he was encouraged to do so by his family members who saw the security camera footage in media reports.

But the case isn’t entirely closed.  While deputies have a pretty good image of the car that they say Jackson was using, they don’t know who was driving it.

If you have additional information on the case, call the JPSO Arson Section at 504-364-5300 or CrimeStoppers at 504-822-1111.