(CNN) -- Thick black smoke and flames were shooting out of the roof of a California shopping mall Thursday afternoon, hours after a man started the fire and barricaded himself inside a video game store. He was later arrested.
The man entered the Westfield Galleria at Roseville "speaking incoherently" in the late morning, police said. He claimed he had a handgun and then set the fire.
Police and fire crews converged on the scene, and several police officers led a suspect out in handcuffs shortly after 1 p.m. Authorities believe he may have been involved in an arson the night before, Sacramento fire officials told CNN affiliate KXTV.
Roseville police identified the suspect as Alexander C. Pigee, 23. He was taken to Placer County Jail.
The mall, about 18 miles northwest of Sacramento, was evacuated during the incident, and it remained closed after the suspect was taken away. Law enforcement officers were checking for a backpack that authorities feared might contain an explosive device.
Officers were getting close to determining the bag's contents when the nearby fire got too big, forcing them to abandon their operation, CNN affiliate KMAX reported.
CNN
