BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) - A New Hampshire man has been convicted of stealing money from a convenience store for an expedited passport to visit a woman in Turkey who had just broken up with him, and then setting a fire to the business.
Deputy State Fire Marshal Keith Rodenhiser said 45-year-old John Gates, of Kington, broke into a restaurant at the Carriage Town Plaza in 2018, chiseled a hole through the wall to gain entry into the convenience store and stole $400. He set fire to the businesses.
Gates was convicted of arson and burglary charges, and possessing and using Molotov cocktails. Police tracked his footprints in the snow to his home.
Authorities said a search of his computer showed Gates planned to visit the woman in Turkey following an online relationship.
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