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Police Probe Arson Bid at KC Warehouse Post-Detention Snub

Published 14 February 2026

Kansas City police are investigating an unidentified woman suspected of attempting to set fire to a warehouse in south Kansas City, Missouri, hours after the property owner announced it would not sell the site to the federal government for potential use as an immigration detention facility.

The incident occurred Thursday evening around 5:50 p.m. at the 920,000-square-foot warehouse located at 14901 Botts Road in the I49 Industrial Center. Witnesses reported seeing the woman approach the building, pour or spray an accelerant along its exterior and windows, and ignite it with matches. Surveillance video and footage from a local news crew captured the woman, described as having long dark hair and wearing jeans and a dark short-sleeved shirt, carrying a backpack and a container of liquid before fleeing the scene. Firefighters from the Kansas City Fire Department and Grandview Fire Department arrived quickly and extinguished the small flames, which caused minimal damage to the structure. No injuries were reported.

Bomb and arson detectives from the Kansas City Police Department are leading the probe, reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses to identify the suspect,...

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