JILTED? Fired worker accused of attempting to set fire to restaurant

MOUNT PLEASANT (WITI) -- 38-year-old Hermelindo Guevara-Castillo, a homeless man from Racine, now faces a single count of attempted arson for his connection to an incident that happened on Sunday, May 25th.

According to the criminal complaint, the Mount Pleasant Police Department was dispatched to the SUper China Buffet on Washington Ave. on Saturday. The owner of the restaurant told police he had just fired Guevara-Castillo and worried about retaliation from him.

The complaint says the owner came back to his business on Sunday morning. The owner told police he was Guevara-Castillo "dumping fryer oil all over the back door of his business and the steps to his business." The restaurant was not open at the time -- and there was no one else in the area.

The complaint indicates the owner confronted Guevara-Castillo  who told him "he was going to light the grease in the soaked boxes" on fire. Guevara-Castillo then apparently left the area on a bicycle.

When police found Guevara-Castillo, he had cooking oil all over both of his shoes, as well as on his hands and pants." A lighter was also found on Guevara-Castillo.

As an officer was putting handcuffs on Guevara-Castillo, he started yelling at the restaurant owner. He was swearing and stated a racial slur.

If convicted, Guevara-Castillo faces up to 20 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.

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