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Man arrested in Pink Pony Showgirls fire that injured firefighter, accused of shooting inside burning building

By and
Updated  March 12, 2025 4:33pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • A suspect is facing multiple charges after starting a fire and firing shots inside Pink Pony Showgirls in Tampa.
    • The suspect was found with the gun when police apprehended him after catching him dragging brush into the burning building.
    • One firefighter was sent to the hospital with minor injuries sustained while battling the fire.

TAMPA, Fla. - A suspect is accused of starting a fire and firing shots inside Pink Pony Showgirls, an adult establishment in Tampa. 

The Tampa Police Department said Arvin Solimanpoor, 29, is accused in the arson incident that sent one firefighter to the hospital with minor injuries. He's also accused of firing multiple shots while inside the building. 

READ: Man attempts to chase down girlfriend, rams random couple's car into concrete pole, killing woman: SPPD

Timeline:

The arson and shooting incident happened in the early morning hours of Wednesday at Pink Pony Showgirls, which is located at 5215 North Lois Avenue in Tampa. Officers said Solimanpoor went into the building and intentionally set it on fire just before 5 a.m.

Booking photo for Arvin Solimanpoor. Courtesy: Orient Road Jail. 

A witness also told Tampa police that Solimanpoor fired a gun multiple times while inside the building, which officials said was unoccupied during the incident. 

Once officers arrived at the scene, they took Solimanpoor into custody as he was dragging brush into the burning building. TPD said officers found the handgun on the suspect, which they seized and placed into evidence, and took him to a district office for questioning. 

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Dig deeper:

While police took the suspect into custody, firefighters with Tampa Fire Rescue battled the blaze. One of the responding firefighters was injured and taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The firefighter has since been released from the hospital, according to police. 

Courtesy: Tampa Fire Rescue.

Courtesy: Tampa Fire Rescue.

Firefighters got the flames under control within 30 minutes, according to TFR. All lanes of Lois Avenue were closed from West Hillsborough Avenue to West Crest Avenue for hours. 

While Solimanpoor was in custody, he damaged a camera inside a holding area. According to authorities, he also urinated into an empty water bottle given to him after complaining about being thirsty and threw the contents onto a police officer. 

The suspect was booked into the Orient Road Jail, and he is now facing the following charges: 

  1. Arson with injury
  2. Shooting at, within or into a building
  3. Possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony
  4. Battery on a law enforcement officer
  5. Felony criminal mischief

The investigation into the incident remains active, TPD said. 

The Source: This story was written using information from Tampa Fire Rescue and the Tampa Police Department.

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