Owner of College Station’s burnt down Krispy Kreme charged with arson more than 2 months after fire

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – It’s been more than two months since the Krispy Kreme on Harvey Road burned down in the middle of the night, and the College Station Fire Department just announced Thursday night the owner was arrested and accused of arson.

54-year-old Brian Keith Davis of Katy was arrested in connection to the fire that destroyed College Station’s Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, as announced by College Station Fire Department’s (CSFD) Fire Marshal’s Office 11 weeks after the investigation began. Davis was booked into the Harris County Jail Thursday afternoon by Harris County Constable Precinct 5 and CSFD Fire Marshals.

According to previous reports, at least three racially insensitive messages were found spray painted on the outside of the building after the fire was extinguished. Accelerants were also detected at the scene but the City of College Station said in a news release Thursday, the case “is not being investigated as a racially motivated incident.”

After the fire in May, College Station Fire Chief Richard Mann told KBTX no one was inside the building when the fire started just before 2 a.m., but “there was debris on the roadway indicating some type of explosion.”

Brian Davis, the owner of the College Station Krispy Kreme, was arrested by fire investigators this week.

“I am proud of the work done by the CSFD Fire Marshals Office and appreciative of the support and collaboration we received from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,” said Fire Chief Richard Mann. “The agency’s cooperation and teamwork have been instrumental in getting a criminal off the streets who completely disregarded the risk posed to the community and the firefighters from an intentional act of arson.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel wrote, “The strong partnerships we have between our federal and local partners are force multipliers and allow us to leverage the full capabilities of law enforcement when solving arson investigations. Arsons present grave risk to both life and property and we are committed to using every resource at our disposal to see to it that those who are responsible for such acts are held accountable.”

The fire broke out around 2 a.m. on Monday, May 13 this year and KBTX spoke to those who saw the building go up in flames.

“We heard a loud boom and it was loud enough to where we could hear on the inside of the store. Then we went to go check out, see what it was, and Krispy Kreme was on fire,” Gumby’s general manager Raul Gonzales said.

The next day, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) arrived to assist in the investigation. Around 25 ATF personnel were deployed.

The building was deemed a total loss, but the pile of charred debris still sits on the property.

Krispy Kreme fire arrest news release by KBTX on Scribd

Months later, the rubble remains.

Some called the remains of the Krispy Kreme an ‘eyesore’ for those driving along Harvey Road, or shopping nearby.

For one neighboring business, the destruction is the only view they have. It’s one that staff said they’re getting sick of.

“Honestly, it looks pretty trashy and our customers comment on it quite regularly. It’s definitely a deterrent of the kind of aesthetic that College Station is going for,” Mattress Sleep Centers manager Seth Carstens added.