A man has been arrested in Spain after allegedly setting fire to a café when staff refused to give him mayonnaise for his sandwich.
The shocking incident took place on Wednesday evening in the town of Los Palacios y Villafranca, in the province of Sevilla.
What happened
According to CCTV footage released by the owners of Las Postas Café-Bar, the man first argued with staff after being told the café did not have mayonnaise or ketchup because its sandwiches were pre-prepared.
When told the same answer twice, he stormed out of the café and walked to a nearby petrol station just across the street. Minutes later, he returned carrying a 1.5-litre bottle of petrol.
Before the staff could respond, he asked again if they were sure there was no mayonnaise, then began dousing the bar with fuel and set it alight.
A huge fireball erupted inside the café, forcing terrified customers — including children and elderly patrons — to flee.
Injuries and damages
The suspect himself was caught in the flames, setting his left arm on fire. CCTV shows him rushing out of the café, trying to pat out the blaze with his other hand.
Thanks to the quick actions of staff using a fire extinguisher and the fire brigade’s arrival, the fire was brought under control. No customers were injured, but damage to the café has been estimated between €7,000 (£6,000) and €9,000 (£7,800).
The 50-year-old man, from the neighbouring province of Córdoba, was arrested shortly afterwards in a nearby square by Guardia Civil officers. He was taken to a health centre for treatment to burns before being brought before the courts.
Café owner’s reaction
Café owner José Antonio Caballero described the event as “surreal” and said there was no justification for such violence.
“The bar didn’t have a kitchen and the sandwiches came ready-prepared, so we didn’t have sauces,” Caballero told Spanish press. “At that moment he went to the garage opposite, came back with petrol, and asked again: ‘Are you sure there’s no mayonnaise?’ without even waiting for an answer. There’s no explanation for what happened. It was awful.”
