Man arrested after alleged attempt to explode propane canisters at Walmart
Helenwood man picked up by police within minutes of Monday morning incident at Walmart
ONEIDA | Authorities quickly made an arrest Monday morning after a Helenwood man allegedly used an improvised Molotov cocktail-style device in an apparent attempt to detonate propane canisters at the Oneida Walmart.
Martin C. Robbins, 52, of Helenwood, was arrested by Oneida Police Department officers shortly after the incident occurred. According to Oneida Chief of Police Darryl Laxton, his officers were able to identify Robbins using surveillance video footage from Walmart.
“One of our guys had stopped him and issued a citation a couple of weeks ago, so we were pretty sure that was him, and we were able to confirm that he owned a vehicle that was the same make and model as the one in the video,” Laxton said.
The chief said that Robbins drove by the self-service propane tank kiosk near the Lawn & Garden entrance of the store, tossing a can filled with flammable liquid with a rag stuffed in the top. A Walmart employee witnessed the incident, and phoned police. Authorities quickly arrived on the scene, including OPD officers and Oneida Fire Department.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security are also assisting OPD with its investigation.
The arrest was made in the Galloway Drive area of Helenwood.
Authorities were able to identify and arrest Robbins so quickly that he was taken into custody before nearby Oneida Elementary School had even been placed on lockdown. Laxton stressed that there was never a threat to the school.
The incident caused no significant damage at the store. It occurred at around 9:30 a.m. Monday. Robbins was booked into the Scott County Jail in Huntsville. He is initially charged with arson, though Laxton said other charges could be pending.