Tampa woman tried to make and ignite a firebomb in Walmart, cops say. A kid was with her
A Tampa woman went into a Walmart Saturday night, but she wasn’t doing a late grocery run or restocking her bathroom supplies.
She tried to build a bomb, deputies said.
Sometime before 6 p.m., Emily Stallard, 37, was roaming the aisles of the Walmart and opening an assortment of unpaid items, which included matches, flammable materials and “projectiles,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
A security guard noticed, and kept a watchful eye on her before calling deputies. The guard told them she was trying to create and ignite a firebomb inside the store, deputies said.
Stallard had a child with her as she was collecting supplies for the alleged bomb-building, deputies said.
While waiting for deputies to arrive, the security guard grabbed an off-duty Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officer and detained Stallard.
“This woman had all the supplies she needed to cause mass destruction at her disposal,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “I can’t stress enough: if you see something, say something. You don’t have to tackle a bad guy to be a hero.”
Stallard was arrested and charged with attempted arson of a structure, fire bombing, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, child abuse and battery on a law enforcement officer.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 11:32 AM.
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