The man accused of setting Beefy King on fire Tuesday morning admitted to police that he’d started the fire, but said he hoped the business wasn’t destroyed, according to an arrest affidavit released by Orlando police.
John Huff, 36, is charged with second-degree arson and criminal mischief after police say he lit a fire behind Orlando’s beloved sandwich shop around 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Police said they connected Huff to the crime after the manager of Drunken Monkey, the coffee shop that neighbors Beefy King, called officers to trespass a man disturbing customers Tuesday night.
Police said the man seen on security camera footage outside Beefy King at the time of the fire was a “100% exact match” to Huff. They said when they met with Huff at Drunken Monkey Tuesday night, he was wearing the same outfit as the person seen on security footage early Tuesday morning.
As police were transporting Huff, they said he spontaneously uttered twice that he’d set the fire.