COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. — A Columbia Heights man is facing two counts of felony arson after a fire at a barbershop on Nov. 29.
According to a criminal complaint, just before 7 p.m., deputies were sent to Pauly Ray's Sports Barbershop in Shoreview on a report of a fire. When Lake Johanna firefighters forced their way into the smoke-filled barbershop. They found the floors flooded with water from the sprinkler system.
The complaint states that store surveillance showed Dennis Ambrose Manning inside the barbershop around 6:30 on the night of the 29th. Officials said Manning pulled a lighter out of his pocket and flicked it to start a flame near the gaming corner. He then is seen walking to an exit, looks quickly behind him and leaves the store.
A minute later, the cloth on the gaming table is visibly on fire. The fire burned and grew for around 20 minutes before fire suppression sprinklers activated and put out the fire.
Just before 8 p.m., a deputy saw Manning standing in a doorway nearby, either recording the scene on his phone or talking to someone on FaceTime. Officers arrested him and found a red lighter in his possession.
Manning initially denied to investigators that he intentionally started the fire. According to the complaint, Manning claimed he saw a string hanging from a tablecloth and took out his lighter to burn off the string. He told investigators that he was "exhausted" and wanted to remove it quickly, instead of getting up to grab one of the barbershop's scissors.
The barbershop was forced to close and officials said the interior had been "entirely gutted" due to smoke and water damage from the fire.
The document reveals that the owner of the barbershop thought Manning intentionally set the fire to convince the owner to open a new shop in Columbia Heights.
Paul Vandeveer is the owner of Pauly Ray's Sports Barbershop.
“I’m a little antsy to get back,” said Vandeveer. “I see a disaster but it’s gonna get cleaned up.”
A GoFundMe for Manning says he was forced to close his barbershop in Columbia Heights. Vandeveer knew Manning, so he let him rent a chair, but says he brought up plans to start up another business with him.
“He just kept trying to get me to go to another shop,” he said. “I'm not leaving. Nobody's gonna make me leave, especially in that way.”
Vandeveer says he looks past the burnt chairs and smoke damage.
“It really made me think of my customers and how much they do mean to me,” he said. “ I don’t need a GoFundMe. I have the best clients. They’re going to be there.”
Vandeveer's shop is closed, but he hopes he can reopen by Christmas.
Manning is charged with one count of first-degree arson and one count of second-degree arson. He is scheduled to appear at a court hearing on Dec. 28 in Ramsey County.
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