Suspects identified, questioned in Crestline Pig fire

The Mountain Brook Police Department this afternoon announced it had identified and questioned four juvenile males suspected of intentionally setting fire to the still-under-construction Crestline Piggly Wiggly.

Police Chief Ted Cook said the department could not release more information about the suspects because they are juveniles. The department will seek Delinquency Petitions with the Jefferson County Family Court this week, he said.

In a Facebook post, the department thanked everyone who assisted in the investigation.

According to surveillance footage also shared on the Facebook page, the fire appears to have been intentionally set on the evening of Monday, Jan. 11 around 9:25 p.m. Surveillance footage captures four suspects in the store’s vicinity and entering the building.

During his Jemison Award acceptance speech at the Mountain Brook Chamber Luncheon Thursday, Jan. 14, Brassfield & Gorrie Chairman Miller Gorrie said the fire has put construction back by approximately a month. Gorrie’s firm heads up the project’s construction. Though the store was expected to open in April, Gorrie said that timeline is now unlikely. The fire he said, caused damage to the store’s light fixtures among other things.

“We will eventually get there,” he said.

In an emailed statement, Brasfield and Gorrie Vice President of Marketing Tracey Renner Sibley said the firm could share little more.

“At this time, our team is working to minimize the impact of the fire and we are unable to comment further due to the ongoing investigation. Any additional questions must be referred to the fire department officials.”

The new, 28,250-square-foot urban-style store is located on Vine Street and is neighbors with the Crestline Elementary field and the Mountain Brook Board of Education building. The newly opened Smith’s Variety is also just across the alley. Owner Andy Virciglio shared details about the store in a previous interview with Village Living.