Woman Arrested for Arson at Burbank Target Empire Center

Burbank Police arrested a 27-year-old San Fernando woman on suspicion of arson after a fire broke out inside the Target at the Empire Center on March 29, 2026.

The fire started at around 11:00 p.m. in the store’s bedding section at the 1800 block of Empire Avenue. Officers and firefighters from the Burbank Fire Department arrived to find the building already evacuated. Every customer and employee had made it out safely. Crews extinguished the flames without reporting any serious injuries, but the damage they found inside told a different story. Investigators described extensive losses including destroyed merchandise, widespread smoke contamination, and structural damage to the building itself. Estimated losses currently run into the millions of dollars, and the store has stayed closed for repairs since that night.

Detectives got to work fast. The investigation included witness interviews, a canvas of the surrounding area for physical evidence, and a full review of surveillance video from inside the store. What that footage and fieldwork revealed was damning: the fire originated specifically in the bedding section, no accidental ignition sources were present, and no other individuals had been nearby when it started. Investigators concluded the fire was intentionally set by a female suspect.

Less than 24 hours later, on March 30, detectives located the suspect at a nearby hotel. She didn’t resist. Stephanie Irene Mendoza, 27, of San Fernando was taken into custody without incident and booked for violation of California Penal Code section 451(b), felony arson.

Gone was any ambiguity about cause.

The case moved quickly through the system. On April 2, prosecutors at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence and filed one count of 451(c) PC against Mendoza.

That charging timeline matters. From fire to filing took just four days, which reflects both the strength of the surveillance evidence and the speed of the Burbank Police Investigations Division’s work. Anyone who has watched this department operate over the years knows they don’t sit on solid cases.

MyBurbank first broke the details of the arrest and booking.

Now, the Empire Center isn’t just any shopping plaza. It’s a hub for families from Burbank, North Hollywood, and the surrounding San Fernando Valley neighborhoods who rely on it for everyday needs. The Target location draws high foot traffic on weekend nights, and the idea that a fire could get started inside a crowded retail store at 11:00 p.m. on a Sunday hits differently when you think about how many people were probably still in that building minutes before crews arrived. The fact that the evacuation went smoothly says something about staff training and fire safety protocols.

You can review California’s arson statutes directly through the California Legislative Information database if you want to understand the distinctions between 451(b) and 451(c). The difference often comes down to the specific property type and circumstances of the offense.

For anyone asking what’s next, the case is still under active investigation. Burbank Police haven’t closed the book, and it’s possible additional evidence or witnesses could surface.

The Burbank Fire Department, meanwhile, deserves credit here. Responding to a commercial fire late at night, confirming safe evacuation, and getting the flames out before the damage spread further isn’t a small thing. According to NFPA data on structure fires, retail and mercantile fires cause hundreds of millions in losses nationally each year, and swift suppression directly limits that toll.

“This case remains under investigation,” Burbank Police said in their release, urging anyone with additional information to contact the Investigations Division at (818) 238-3210.

The Target on Empire Avenue doesn’t have a reopening date confirmed yet, and customers are shopping elsewhere in the meantime. Mendoza’s case now sits with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office following the April 2 filing.