Tavon Martae Williamson, 23, faces two Level 4 felony arson charges after a fire at a Kroger on Indianapolis’ southeast side on September 30. Court documents say he was released from the Marion County Adult Detention Center hours before the fire and told jail personnel he wanted to return.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Indianapolis Fire Department investigators responded to the Kroger at 680 Twin Aire Drive around 2:27 p.m., according to court documents described by Fox 59. An off-duty police officer working security at the shopping center had detained a man after a disturbance inside the store, the report says.
Investigators determined the fire was not accidental, according to the documents. Store surveillance video reportedly showed a man starting a fire in a cooler in aisle 15.
Lighter Fluid and Paper Plates in Aisle 15
The court documents say Williamson allegedly put paper plates and napkins in a cooler, poured lighter fluid over them and ignited them with a lighter. Kroger employees extinguished the fire with a store extinguisher.
Store management told police the fire destroyed $4,314.14 in merchandise. Cleanup costs had not been determined when court documents were filed October 2, according to the report. Williamson was charged with two counts of arson involving damage exceeding $5,000, both Level 4 felonies.
'I Just Wanted to Be Back in Jail'
Williamson declined to discuss the fire with investigators but reportedly told jail personnel, “I just wanted to be back in jail,” according to the court documents. He is held at the Marion County Adult Detention Center under a seven-day no-bond hold. No-contact and stay-away orders cover the Kroger and its employees.
Services Before Release
PACE Indianapolis says it provides pre-release services to people incarcerated at the Marion County Adult Detention Center to help prepare them for release to the community. Its reentry services page does not indicate whether Williamson used those services.
The court documents also describe other cases involving Williamson. He was charged with a Level 6 felony theft count on September 7, which remains pending, and a warrant was issued September 9 after a court determined he had violated probation. He was found guilty in separate theft and criminal trespassing cases initiated in 2024 and 2025, respectively, the report says.
An advisement of rights hearing was scheduled for Monday in the arson case. No outcome from that hearing has been reported.
