North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of a California man accused of setting multiple fires in North Carolina, including setting a vehicle on fire and setting a fire to a building with people in it.
“Thank you to all agencies and to our own Criminal Investigations Division for bringing this case to resolution,” Commissioner Causey said in a press release. “Anyone that attempts to harm another person should always be treated as a dangerous criminal.”
Ahmed Hussein Salem Alazanni, 40, of San Francisco, faces three felony charges: two counts of burning personal property and one count of burning a commercial structure while occupied.
Investigators say Alazanni, then an employee at EZ Mini Mart on North Alston Avenue, set the business on fire on August 14, 2024, while people were inside. He also allegedly set fire to two nearby vehicles in an attempt to target separate individuals. No injuries were reported.
After warrants were issued on August 20, Alazanni fled to California, where authorities say he intended to leave the country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained him at San Francisco International Airport. U.S. Marshals returned him to North Carolina on June 17.
Alazanni is being held on a $1 million secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Durham County District Court on July 16.
The case involved assistance from local, state, and federal agencies, including the SBI, ATF, Durham Police and Fire, and U.S. Marshals.
