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Woman arrested three months after Winton Hills grocery store firebombing

Tree Top Grocery
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CINCINNATI — A 35-year-old woman faces aggravated arson charges three months after a fire caused significant damage to a Winton Hills grocery store.

Tree Top Grocery was forced to close in late November after someone intentionally set fire to the building, causing $300,000 worth of damage. Co-owner Fesseha Tesfatsion was inside the store when he said it got firebombed.

"I called 911 and the fire department arrived within four minutes, but everything was down," he said.

The store largely serves low-income residents who walk to their local grocery. Its closure left dozens with a mile-and-a-half walk to the nearest store.

Cincinnati grocery store 'firebombed'

Cincinnati Fire officials announced on Thursday that Angela Schweitzer has been arrested on two counts of aggravated arson to a person and one count of aggravated arson to an occupied structure following an investigation into the fire.

The arrest comes just days after Tree Top Grocery reopened its doors to customers. Tesfatsion said a $150,000 investment back into the company allowed him to reopen.

"Thank you for all your endeavors to stop such immoral act, and I hope such act will not happen in the Cincinnati area anymore," Tesfasion said in a statement.

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