JACKSONVILLE, Md. — For three years, The MAD Cottage in Jacksonville had a free little library in front of the store to benefit the community.
Little free library outside shop set on fire
In a second, it all went up in flames.
It’s not how shop owner, Sheelah Lopez planned to start off her week.
“I found out about it at 8:15 Monday morning, somebody emailed the shop saying they might know what happened to the front of my building," Lopez said.
She told WMAR-2 News that early Monday morning, a man came to her shop and lit fire to the little free library out front.
She caught the suspect on security cameras walking around the building before stopping in front of the free library.
“[He] was smoking pipe like a men’s pipe and waited for traffic to go by and leaned in with either his pipe or a lighter and just lit some of the books on fire.”
She has decided not to share that video to protect the integrity of the police investigation around the incident.
Also caught on camera, a Good Samaritan who saw the fire and jumped into action.
“He just was coming down the street, saw it engulfed, and turned into the lot and was pouring all of his Gatorade bottles that he had in the back of his truck on top of it.”
The owner of the gas station across the also came to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher.
Although the library was completely destroyed, Lopez is thanking her lucky stars that the flames stopped there.
“I could’ve lost the whole shop just for somebody who decided they wanted to set something on fire. I could’ve lost everything that I’ve worked for for the last six years.”
She's received an outpouring of support after posting about the situation on social media.
“[I've gotten] offers to rebuild it for me, offers to donate books, have local authors in the area drop books off.”
She has two words for the man who helped save her shop.
“Thank you so much.”
She is looking for the Good Samaritan so she can thank him in person.
