Montez Terrill, 25, Charged With Setting Minneapolis Pawn Shop On Fire During George Floyd Unrest
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Rochester resident Montez Terrill Lee, 25, faces one count of arson in connection to the torching of a Minneapolis pawn shop amid the unrest following George Floyd's death.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says videos taken on May 28 were anonymously sent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on June 8. The first video shows a masked man dousing the inside of maX it PAWN with a liquid while others are looting. The video then shifts to the man standing shirtless outside of the shop with his fist in the air.
In the second video, the masked and shirtless man is again in front of the now-burning pawn shop. The person filming asks, "What you do, Tez?" The shirtless man then says, "F--- this place. We're gonna burn this b---- down."
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Rochester police's Intelligence Unit helped the ATF determine that the man in the videos was Lee with the help of Facebook. Lee and one of his associates -- both using monikers instead of their real names on their Facebook pages -- posted the videos, which helped pinpoint him further. Investigators also say Lee's tattoos are consistent with those of the shirtless man in the videos.
Anyone with information on other cases of arson during the unrest is asked to contact ATF. Call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via www.ReportIt.com or the Report It mobile app. When using Report It, select "ATF – St. Paul Field Division" as the reporting agency. Provide the ATF ID number of the suspect and as much information as you can relating to the whereabouts of the individual of whom you are reporting. Tipsters can also call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) if internet access is unavailable.
Information can be submitted anonymously, but if a reward is sought, be sure to include contact information into the report before submitting a tip. Information eligible for reward must lead to the successful identification, arrest and conviction of the individual.
