Woman Accused in Buffalo Gas Pump Fire
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A woman is charged with arson after investigators say she set fire to a Buffalo convenience store gas pump last weekend, causing more than $1,000 in damage.
Guadalupe Najera, 31, of Minneapolis, is charged with second-degree arson involving a building or property valued at $1,000 or more. The charge stems from the fire at the business on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025.
> Sign up for the MN CRIME newsletter
According to the criminal complaint, a Buffalo police officer was dispatched at 9:50 p.m. to a report of a fire at the gas pumps. By the time the officer arrived, the fire had already been extinguished. The officer observed fire damage to gas pump 10 and burned paper towels scattered around the pump.
READ MORE > Wright County coverage
Store employees told police a woman had been inside and around the store for about an hour before the fire and had been acting strangely. Employees said the woman was walking back and forth between the Holiday station and a nearby Perkins restaurant. Staff reviewed surveillance video with police, which showed a woman with orange hair wearing a lavender skirt, black coat and carrying a white handbag.
The video shows the woman removing a gas nozzle, taking an item from her right pocket and manipulating the nozzle. A small fire then ignites, with visible flames and smoke, before the woman quickly walks away from the pump.
While the officer was still on scene, an employee reported the suspect had returned. The officer made contact with the woman, who was identified as Najera. Police noted she was wearing the same clothing and carrying the same white handbag seen in the surveillance footage.
A search conducted incident to her arrest resulted in the recovery of a lighter and two used pipes that officers say are used to smoke methamphetamine. Investigators determined the damaged gas pump had a value exceeding $1,000.
Najera is charged with one count of second-degree arson, a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison, a $20,000 fine or both.
> See more of our latest coverage
> Follow on X or YouTube for more
> Help make MN safer with real-time alerts, LIVE video, 24/7 Safety Agents & much more: Download Citizen now
