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Newly released security footage caught the moment a driver deliberately set his car on fire, triggering an explosion in front of a grocery store in Western Washington. KOMO obtained video of the wild incident and ensuing police standoff, which reportedly happened on December 23, 2022, at a Fred Meyer store in Everett.
Footage shows the sudden blast blowing up the entrance to the retailer at the peak of holiday shopping. Two hours before the explosion, a car lacking license plates on its side looped around the parking lot. According to court documents, the word "satanic" was spray-painted on the side of the vehicle, prompting a store employee to call the police.
Officers identified the driver as 56-year-old Ronald Lewis, who slowly rolled to the store before ramming his vehicle into the store entrance, police said. Cops reportedly spotted a propane tank and several gasoline canisters inside the car. They also observed Lewis wearing a filtered respirator around his neck, possibly to stave off the fumes.
Lewis eventually stepped out of the vehicle but doused himself in gasoline and pulled out torch lighters, threatening to blow up the car, court records obtained by MyNorthwest News state. After an hour of negotiations, the car suddenly exploded, injuring Lewis. Video shows firefighters scrambling to pull him away from the intense blaze.
The driver admitted to intentionally triggering the explosion to get the police's attention, according to officials. Lewis allegedly told officers that "satanic daemons" were hunting him and that he needed law enforcement's protection.
Lewis was taken to the hospital with burn injuries and later charged with first-degree arson and first-degree malicious mischief.
Police said the Frey Meyer was evacuated during the negotiations, so nobody else was injured. Reporters said the store suffered over $50,000 in damage.