Teen booked with setting fire to Halloween section in Marrero Walmart

An 18-year-old suspected of setting ablaze the Halloween section inside a Marrero Walmart surrendered to authorities Tuesday (Sept. 25) after a relative recognized him in surveillance photos released to the press, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

Jerrold Jackson, of Marrero, was booked with aggravated arson, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the department.

The teen is accused of lighting the fire around 9:10 a.m. on Sept 19 in the Walmart located at 4810 Lapalco Blvd., Marrero. Surveillance cameras recorded him entering the business around 8:40 a.m. and wandering around before igniting the fire in the Halloween section near the front of the store, authorities said.

The teen then ran out of the store and jumped into what appeared to be a gold mid-2000s Pontiac Grand Prix, Rivarde said.

An engine with the Marrero-Harvey Volunteer Fire Department in the area responded within one minute. The crew and the store's sprinkler system had the blaze under control within four minutes, authorities said. No one was injured.

The fire shut down the store for the rest of the day.

Fire investigators and the Sheriff's Office released stills of the suspect and the getaway vehicle taken by surveillance cameras. A relative recognized Jackson as the man seen in the photos, Rivarde said.

Jackson was being held Wednesday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna in lieu of a $50,000 bond for the arson charge. But he is being held without bond as a fugitive from another jurisdiction.

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Anyone with information about the car that picked up Jarrold Jackson or its driver is asked to call the Sheriff's Office investigations bureau at 504.364.5300. The public can also call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 877.903.7867. Callers or texters do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an indictment.

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