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Ocean City Police say Boardwalk merchant torched shop then blamed customers

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By Michael Miller | Posted: Thursday, October 1, 2009 | 0 comments

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OCEAN CITY - Police said a Boardwalk store owner set fire to his own shop on Tuesday for the insurance money.

Police arrested and charged James Schatzle, 73, of Galloway Township, with aggravated arson and insurance fraud.

Schatzle also is charged with filing a false police report on Sept. 16, when he told police two men beat and harassed him over the price of his merchandise. On Tuesday, he told police the two men returned, beat him again and set a fire to his store in retribution for the earlier dispute.

Schatzle was lodged at the Cape May County jail on $50,000 bail.

Passersby and employees at Johnson's Popcorn next door pulled Schatzle to safety when his store filled with smoke. He was taken to Shore Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for an injured head and arm and released.

Police said the fire threatened the lives of several Boardwalk employees and customers at nearby stores and tenants of the second-floor apartments above the flag shop.

Nobody else was injured but the entire inventory at a dress shop and Johnson's Popcorn was ruined by the smoke.

Police Lt. Steven Ang said investigators grew suspicious when they learned that another novelty store operated by Schatzle in Galloway Township was destroyed by fire in 2006.

Posted in BREAKING | CAPE MAY on Thursday, October 1, 2009 3:00 pm

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