An early evening shopping trip turned into a chaotic scene of fire and smoke at a Maryland Walmart, ending in the arrest of a New Jersey man accused of using an explosive diversion to pull off a jewelry heist.
Anthony J. Rhodes, 36, is currently held in a New Jersey jail awaiting extradition to Maryland. He faces a string of charges, including first-degree arson and manufacturing an explosive device, following an incident on April 29 at the Walmart Supercenter on East Pulaski Highway in Elkton.
The incident began around 7:00 p.m. when a masked man carrying a backpack entered the store. According to investigators, the suspect used a can of camping fuel and several boxes of fireworks to ignite a shopping cart parked right next to the children’s clothing section. The fireworks quickly discharged inside the store, escalating the flames and sparking immediate confusion among shoppers and employees…