Pair caught on camera at Bde Maka Ska/Lake Calhoun pavilion before fire ID'd

May 23, 2019 at 2:17PM

The two people caught on surveillance cameras before a fire heavily damaged the Bde Maka Ska/Lake Calhoun pavilion have been identified.

The woman came forward voluntarily and spoke with investigators, said Sgt. Darcy Horn, Minneapolis police spokeswoman.

"No arrests have been made, the case is still under investigation," she said in an e-mail Wednesday night.

The fire, which was reported shortly before 4 a.m. May 16, broke through the roof of the pavilion, where the Lola on the Lake restaurant concession operated. The building was deemed "unsalvageable" by a structural engineer and is expected to be demolished in the near future.

On Tuesday, police released images from city-owned surveillance cameras that showed the man and woman sitting and standing by the pavilion between 3 and 3:30 a.m. and sought help identifying them.

Selected images from the video show them around a table, and one shows the man leaning by a pavilion wall in front of what appears to be a sparking object next to a recycling bin and trash can.

Another image shows a dark sedan leaving the area.

Storms rolled through the city that night, but officials have ruled out lightning as a cause.

STAFF REPORT

Two people were seen at the pavilion on Bde Maka Ska/Lake Calhoun just before it caught on fire. Sparks appear to be visible in this photo.
Two people were seen at the pavilion on Bde Maka Ska/Lake Calhoun just before it caught on fire. Sparks appear to be visible in this photo. (Dennis McGrath/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

More from Minneapolis

card image

From small businesses to giants like Target, retailers are benefitting from the $10 billion industry for South Korean pop music, including its revival of physical album sales.