Market Basket Employee Charged with Arson in Gloucester

Matthew Johnson, a 35-year-old employee at a Market Basket in Gloucester, Massachusetts, has been charged with arson for allegedly setting two separate fires at the grocery store on March 14. The fires, which were reported around 8:20 p.m., were located in different parts of the building, including a storage area and a trash compactor, and were extinguished by 9:00 p.m. No injuries were reported, and the store reopened the following day after cleaning and ventilation. The fires prompted a joint investigation by the Gloucester Police Department, Gloucester Fire Department, and State Police fire investigators, who concluded the incidents were suspicious. Johnson faces two counts each of burning personal property and attempting to burn a building and is expected to be arraigned in Gloucester District Court. The motive behind the alleged arson remains unclear.