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The fire at Old Navy is one of eight instances of arson or “suspicious devices” that federal authorities investigated in central Albuquerque last week.

According to the complaint, an Albuquerque police officer on holiday patrol near San Mateo and Interstate 40 about 1 a.m. Saturday heard “several timed booms, like little explosions but not gunshots” coming from a nearby shopping center. When he arrived, he spotted a figure in black running from a silver car to the wreckage of a storefront window, and back to the car.

Old Navy burst into flames, and the suspect fled the scene.

Officers tailed the car and arrested Hickman at a nearby gas station on the corner of Carlisle and Menaul NE.

Elizabeth Martinez, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said she could not comment on whether Hickman is being investigated in connection to the other fires. She also could not comment on what other items were on Hickman’s list.

“As a matter of policy we cannot comment on a continuing investigation,” Martinez said.

But Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden said in a news conference Saturday afternoon announcing the arrest that police believed the community was safe from similar incidents.

No major prior convictions

Hickman, who attended La Cueva High School, according to several classmates, has a limited police record. His only violations appear to be seven parking tickets he received south of Downtown, the majority of which were written in the past four months. He was also charged with possession of cocaine in 2011 but the charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled.

In June, Hickman reported his car was stolen from Second and Gold SW, telling officers there was nothing valuable and no weapons in it at the time. When he was arrested Saturday, he was driving a car of the same make and year, and with the same license plate.

Hickman attended his initial appearance in federal court Monday morning. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not release his name and charges prior to the appearance, saying the matter had been sealed.

Hickman is charged with using an explosive device to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce in relation to the explosions and fire at Old Navy.

Martinez could not comment on the possible motive for the arson or whether Hickman will face more charges.

The string of fires began in the early morning hours of last Wednesday when the anti-abortion ministry Project Defending Life was broken into and several small fires were set throughout the chapel and meeting area. An hour later, firefighters were called to The Carlisle, a $9 million luxury condo complex that was under construction in the heart of Nob Hill.

The FBI is investigating the fires at the ministry to determine whether it is a hate crime.

ATF team at condo fire site

A special team of arson investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that specialize in large, complex fires was called in to investigate the wreckage of The Carlisle, and said Sunday the cause has not been determined. The team also said it was premature to link the fire to other incidents around town.

Early Friday morning “suspicious devices” – one of which caused some damage – were left at three Starbucks in Nob Hill and surrounding neighborhoods.

Then, early Saturday, the explosions and fire occurred at Old Navy. Around the same time, a fire occurred at Barnes & Noble at Coronado Center. Also that night, the bomb squad was called to a paper shredding company on Broadway near Ophelia NE.

Barnes & Noble and Old Navy remained closed Monday.