A Twin Cities man is charged with arson after authorities say he threw Molotov cocktails at a northeast Minneapolis ice cream shop on two occasions.
The 30-year-old Fridley, Minnesota, man is charged with two counts of first-degree arson, according to Hennepin County court documents.
Fletcher’s Ice Cream and Cafe on Hennepin Avenue East was firebombed on Sunday night and Monday afternoon, according to the criminal complaint. Both incidents were reported to police.
Several witnesses said the assailant fled in a Honda Odyssey and reported the license plate to police. Authorities used security footage and a photograph of the vehicle’s registered owner to identify the Fridley man as a suspect in both incidents.
Officers pulled the man over near Ontario Street and University Avenue Southeast on Monday and arrested him. He had a red gasoline container in the car, the criminal complaint said.
The complaint gives no motive for the firebombings, but owner Jason Fletcher believes his shop may have been targeted because of the Pride flag hanging outside. The shop was founded as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
“It happened twice here. It didn’t happen at the bar next door, it happened here,” he said. “There’s a reason why. And I’d like to think it’s not my flag, but it very well could be.”
No one was injured in the attacks, but the shop was damaged.
Note: The video above originally aired Oct. 20, 2025.
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