Man accused of breaking into Salisbury business, setting it on fire

SALISBURY, N.C. — A Salisbury business owner is accused of breaking into another business and setting it on fire early Sunday morning.

Police charged 60-year-old Thomas Cohen with felony burning other buildings and breaking and entering.

The fire started at Salisbury Millwork on Corporate Circle around 3 a.m.

Firefighters worked for two hours to put the fire out and prevented it from spreading to another nearby company, but the blaze gutted the business.

Once investigators realized the fire was not accidental, police eventually arrested Cohen, the owner of a nearby heating and air company.

Channel 9′s Tina Terry stopped by his office Monday and he was not there, but arrest warrants say he broke into the Salisbury Millwork and stole a $1,000 computer that belonged to the company’s owner before reportedly setting the place on fire.

It is unclear exactly what was on the computer, and police are still investigating a motive for the fire.

Charles Ball, one of Cohen’s neighbors, said he couldn’t believe what Cohen was accused of doing.

“I think it’s a shock to everybody,” Ball said. “Because he’s such a good man. He’s always been good to me, offered to help, do anything I wanted him to do.”

Cohen was booked into jail under a $75,000 bond, but posted bail and was later released.

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