Police Beat

FLORENCE

   A man who had been asked to leave a convenience store returned and set a small fire in a back room, police said.
   James F. Smith, 51, of Florence was charged Wednesday with aggravated arson, criminal mischief and causing widespread injury or alarm.
   Florence Township Fire Department and the Police Department were dispatched at 10:02 p.m. Tuesday to the Wawa on the 400 block of Broad Street for a fire alarm, police said.
   They discovered that the fire had been extinguished, and that the alarm had been set off by smoke from a vacuum cleaner bag in the back room, police said. Wawa employees indicated that the vacuum had not been used in the past day, and that it was not plugged in, according to police.
   Store employees told police that Mr. Smith had been asked to leave the store but returned later to purchase a few items shortly before the fire alarm went off, police said. The employees said he was in the store for approximately 20 minutes prior to the fire, police reported.
   Mr. Smith was taken into custody at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday near his residence and transported to Burlington County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. A court appearance is pending.

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   Anthony Harris, 21, of Florence, was charged with eluding police, resisting arrest and other charges at 9:37 a.m. Friday.
   Police said Mr. Harris drove through two stop signs on West Fifth Street and did not immediately stop when police tried to pull him over. Police said he pulled into the parking lot at Maplewood Homes and got out of the car after police told him to remain inside it. Police also said he gave a false name.
   When Mr. Harris was told to get back in his car he ran through the development and verbally threatened the officer during the chase. Police caught Mr. Harris on West Third Street, where police said he struggled with officers. Police said in addition to charges of eluding police, resisting arrest, making terroristic threats and hindering apprehension, he was wanted on warrants from a number of municipalities totaling $21,500. He was lodged in lieu of $20,000 bail for the charges in Florence in addition to the $21,500 from the warrants.