Courtney Mayes, 25, who was the shift manager at the time of the incident, was charged with aggravated arson after the Nashville Fire Department responded to a fire at a Taco Bell at 5510 Nolensville Pike on July 5, WSMV reported.
Firefighters were able to put out the flames, but investigators were called in after management reviewed the surveillance footage from the night of the blaze three days later, according to WTVF.
According to footage from inside the restaurant, employees had locked the doors to prevent customers from entering. The Taco Bell workers then ran around the restaurant with fireworks in their hands.
At one point the employees went into the men’s bathroom to hide themselves from the security cameras for a period of time. They were then captured placing something in a trash can in the restaurant lobby before going outside and taking pictures with their phones.
“Employees then realized they locked themselves out of the restaurant,” Nashville Fire Department said in a statement, via WZTV.
“The employees tried unsuccessfully to get back into the store. When the employees saw the trash can start to smoke, they called 911 for help.”
After the fire was extinguished, investigators later found there was also damage inside the men’s bathroom after fireworks were also apparently set off inside a separate trash can there.
The fire caused extensive damage to the restaurant, totaling tens of thousands of dollars.
More Arrests Likely to Follow
Officials say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected in the coming days. Mayes is being held at the Davidson County jail on a $5,000 bond.
The Nashville Fire Department was contacted for further comment.
Dangerous incidents involving fireworks have been increasing in the U.S. recently.
In June, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a report that found there had been a 50 percent increase in deaths and injuries from fireworks-related incidents in 2020, compared with 2019.
The report showed that at least 18 people died from fireworks-related incidents last year, compared with 12 in 2019.
The CPSC added that around 15,600 people were treated in hospital emergency departments for fireworks injuries in 2020, compared to about 10,000 ER-treated fireworks injuries in 2019.
The increase in injuries and deaths in 2020 was linked to more people attempting to put on their own displays as official ones were canceled across the country amid the COVID pandemic.
“Consumers should enjoy professional fireworks displays from a distance, and be extra vigilant when using consumer-type fireworks,” CPSC Acting Chairman Robert Adler said.
