TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old and two juveniles have been taken into custody in connection with a fire at an abandoned Topeka mall that authorities believe was intentionally set.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a tip led to the arrests on Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately clear on Thursday if charges had been filed.
The fire on Tuesday morning at White Lakes Mall caused an estimated $100,000 in damage.
Firefighters found no one inside after they were called just after 6:30 a.m. Tuesday to the former mall building, where they found smoke coming from the roof slightly north of the center of the property, said Topeka Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.
Firefighters mounted a defensive attack and used aerial units featuring ladders to battle the two-alarm blaze from above, keeping it from spreading into the adjoining building that houses Mainline Printing, Inc., at 3500 S.W. Topeka Blvd., Harrison said. The latter building sustained minimal damage, he said.
No businesses had been in operation at 3600 S.W. Topeka Blvd., Harrison said.
Shawnee County appraisal records say the property has an appraised value of $811,640 and is owned by KDL Inc., a company owned by Topeka real estate developer Kent Lindemuth.
The mall was built on the site of the former White Lakes Country Club and opened in 1964. It once was anchored by anchored by an 85,000-square-foot Sears store and a 52,300-square-foot J.C. Penney store.
Its popularity waned after the larger West Ridge Mall opened in west Topeka in 1988.
