Victor Murillo (Photo courtesy: Canal Fulton police)
CANAL FULTON, Ohio- A former employee of the Canal Grille is accused of setting the restaurant on fire.
Police arrested 19-year-old Victor L. Murillo, of Canal Fulton, and charged him for arson and vandalism early Friday morning. He was taken to the Stark County Jail.
Ptl. Stephen Ruthrauff noticed the Canal Grille, on South Locust Street, was on fire just before 2 a.m. Thursday. The Canal Fulton officer put out the blaze and is credited with saving the building.
“Without his discovery and deployment of this extinguisher the fire would have caused considerable damage or even unrepairable damage to the business and building,” Fire Chief Raymund Durkee said.
Canal Fulton police said messages, including death threats, were painted on the restaurant.
Murillo was terminated from the Canal Grille two years ago, but the motive is still under investigation, according to police. Officers are also looking into a link between the fire and theft reports around the same time.
