A masked figure carrying newspapers was caught on surveillance video approaching a storage barn in Oronoco just minutes before it erupted in flames, prosecutors say.
The fire broke out at about 12:39 a.m. on September 30, 2023, at Minnesota Avenue and Center Street West. A neighbor returning home noticed the smell of barbecue, saw the shed door on fire and tried to intervene, but the flames quickly spread. He called 911 and alerted the building owner, who was asleep inside his nearby home.
Sean Lee Culver, 45, of Oronoco, faces a charge of second-degree arson for setting fire to the storage barn, according to a complaint filed August 3 in Olmsted County District Court.
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According to court records, the building owner told officers there was no electric power or gas to the shed and no gas cans inside. Two lawn mowers stored in the shed had not been used since June or July. The neighbor who discovered the fire said he saw no people or vehicles on the road when he arrived home shortly before the fire started.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby building. The video showed a person with a heavy build and an abnormal gait, wearing a dark ski mask, coat, gloves and jeans, walking past the camera toward the fire location while carrying crumpled newspapers. The subject was seen again minutes later, walking away from the area without the newspapers. The fire was seen starting and quickly engulfing the shed.
Detectives noted that the time stamp on the video was off by 46 minutes, but determined the correct time of the subject’s approach. Investigators also found shoe prints near the shed, measuring about 12 inches from heel to toe, though many had been washed away by rain.
The State Fire Marshal responded and ruled out most accidental causes, calling the fire suspicious. Detectives sent the video to other investigators familiar with recent unsolved arson fires in the region. One detective recognized the person in the footage as Sean Lee Culver, noting that Culver was a suspect in a previous camper fire and walks with an abnormal gait due to a motorcycle crash.
A retired Oronoco firefighter later contacted investigators, stating that Culver had served on the local fire department and that several suspicious fires had occurred during his tenure, including hay bales set on fire. The retired firefighter described Culver as acting suspiciously at those scenes.
A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota grades arson by degree. Second-degree arson under § 609.562 covers a building that is not a dwelling and carries up to 10 years in prison. First-degree arson under § 609.561 alleges a dwelling with someone inside and carries up to 20 years, and third-degree arson under § 609.563 carries up to five years. Criminal damage to property is charged separately under § 609.595.
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Rochester House Fire Leads to Arson Charge • Driver Crashes Through Wall of Rochester House • Rochester Man Helped in Armed Robbery of Shoe Seller
Jurisdictional Context
Olmsted County encompasses Rochester and is served by the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office through the Third Judicial District. Felony cases are heard at the Olmsted County Government Center in downtown Rochester.
