Wayzata man charged in arson at Wells Fargo branch during Minneapolis riots
A Wells Fargo branch was set on fire Friday night in south Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Wayzata man is facing charges for an arson at a Wells Fargo bank in Minneapolis that burned during riots in May.
Twenty-nine-year-old Marc Bell Gonzales is charged with conspiracy to commit arson.
Investigators say Gonzales and others worked to accelerate a fire at the bank, including Gonzales pouring gas at the bank.
The Wells Fargo location at 3030 Nicollet Avenue burned on the night of May 29 as rioters gathered at the Fifth Police Precinct building nearby. The arson at the bank followed the burning of the Third Precinct the night before.
Earlier this month, the bank told customers the branch would remain closed for the foreseeable future, but they were working to construct a scaffolding tunnel for customers to access the safety deposit vault.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the investigation into the fire is ongoing. They are asking anyone with information on fires during the May riots to call the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or email ATFTips@atf.gov.