Police: Mangoes Thrown, Arson Attempted in Columbia Pike Store

An Arlington man is accused of trashing a Columbia Pike convenience store Thursday night after assaulting a customer and demanding $50,000 cash from employees.

German Cruz-Coreas, 49, has been arrested and charged with arson, attempted robbery, four counts of abduction, felony destruction of property and three counts of assault and battery, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

Police say Cruz-Coreas entered Miguel's Q Mart, 5555 Columbia Pike, shortly after 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

The man was standing in line when he decided the customer ahead of him was taking too long, prompting him to assault that man, police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told Patch.

That man punched Cruz-Coreas in the face, Sternbeck said, causing him to leave the store momentarily.

When he returned, he demanded $50,000 in cash from a store employee, Sternbeck said.

Further, the man grabbed a coffee filter, lit it on fire, put it on top of a television set and threatened to burn the store down. The TV and some nearby speakers burned but the fire ultimately burned out, Sternbeck said.

Cruz-Coreas then began throwing avocados and mangoes at employees, one of whom was holding a 16-month-old child, according to police.

Employees were able to barricade themselves in a back room to call police, Sternbeck said. At that point, Cruz-Coreas began knocking over shelves, smashing merchandise and destroying the store's slushy machine, he said.

"The guy proceeded to destroy the entire store," Sternbeck said.

A damage estimate was not immediately available, though Sternbeck said "it would be safe to say thousands" of dollars in damage was done.

The store manager came out of the back room and tackled the man, holding him until police arrived, Sternbeck said.

"The owners of the Miguel's Q Mart, the managers and employees there have been working around the clock to get their store back in order and open up for the public that they serve," Sternbeck said. "People do rely on that convenience store for their daily goods. It's a staple of the community."

Cruz-Coreas sustained minor injuries, Sternbeck said.