Raleigh man gets 7 years in prison for starting fires during downtown riots

A Raleigh man was sentenced Thursday to 85 months in federal prison for damage he did to a store in downtown Raleigh during riots that followed the death of George Floyd in police custody.

Posted 10:30 p.m. Dec 16, 2021 — Updated 4:37 a.m. Dec 17, 2021

WILMINGTON, N.C. — A Raleigh man was sentenced Thursday to 85 months in federal prison for damage he did to a store in downtown Raleigh during riots that followed the death of George Floyd in police custody.

Richard Rubalcava, 27, pleaded guilty in March to setting a fire at a Dollar General Express store on East Davie Street. He also admitted to vandalizing the Red Hat building with other rioters.

Authorities said security camera video shows Rubalcava going into the Dollar General Express store at 149 E. Davie St. several times in the early hours of May 30 and tossing various merchandise into bags each time before leaving. His last time in the store, he can be seen on video setting several items at the end of an aisle on fire before leaving, authorities said.

A sprinkler system put out the fire, but there was extensive damage to the structure and merchandise. Rubalacava was also ordered to pay restitution to Dollar General in the amount of $354,379.22.

The Dollar General Express was one of a number of downtown businesses that were looted in two nights of rioting that followed protests in the wake of Floyd's death in Minnesota.

Suggest A Correction