North Myrtle Beach man charged with starting a fire in Wal-Mart

An 18-year-old North Myrtle Beach man is charged with arson after allegedly setting a fire in Wal-Mart.

Richard Andrew Whidby, 18, is charged with third degree arson. Whidby remains jailed at J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a $15,000 bond, according to jail records.

North Myrtle Beach police responded to 550 N. Highway 17 in response to a fire around 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to a police report. When officers arrived, an employee told police a young man started a fire in the electronics section of the store.

The employee identified Whidby as the suspect and he was placed under arrest. Officers found a propane torch with an electric ignition in Whidby’s pants, along with a pair of wire cutters in his pocket, according to the report.

While walking to the patrol car, Whidby “made excited utterances such as that he was bored and high on pills, which is why he started the fire,” the report said.

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "North Myrtle Beach man charged with starting a fire in Wal-Mart."