A West Virginia man says he was consumed with jealousy over his girlfriend’s occupation as a stripper, so he decided to solve the problem by torching her place of employment.
Creio Bishop, 21, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree arson for allegedly setting fire to JB’s Gentleman’s Club at 3330 US 60 in Huntington.
According to a statement from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the blaze ignited just after 3.30am on Wednesday, after which Bishop fled on foot from the scene.
West Virginia Othello: Creio Bishop (left), 21, told police he wanted his girlfriend (right) to stop working as a stripper, so he tried to burn down her place of employment
Adult entertainment: Bishop’s better half has worked at JB’s Gentlemen’s Club in Huntington, West Virginia, for the past six months
High school sweethearts: Bishop and McKayla Biedenbach apparently met in high school and have been together since 2013
Deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department caught up with the suspected arsonist in a Walmart parking lot and detained him.
When questioned about his motive, the 21-year-old ‘excitedly stated he was tired of his girlfriend working at JB’s, so he set it on fire,‘ according to a criminal complaint obtained by WCHS-TV.
Bishop was transported to the Western Regional Jail, where he was ordered held on $10,000 bond.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, which scorched the front door, siding, wall, air conditioning unit and surveillance camera at the adult night club.
JB’s general manager Jim Reed estimated the total damage to the business at $1,000.
Firefighters were summoned to the strip joint at 3.31am Wednesday and found parts of it ablaze
No one was injured, but the fire caused an estimated $1,000 in damage
Looming career change: The woman’s boss at the club said he would have to let her go to protect his business from Bishop, in case he tries to finish what he had started
Speaking to the station WSAZ, Reed said that Bishop’s girlfriend, first identified by The Smoking Gun as McKayla Biedenbach had been dancing at the club for the last six months to earn a living.
He described the woman as ‘quiet and nice,’ but said that if her boyfriend is released from jail, he would be forced to let her go.
‘I hate doing it but I got to protect my business,’ Reed said. ‘He might do this again. It might be worse next time.’
Social media posts reveal that Bishop and Biedenbach first met at high school and have been together since 2013.