Vehicle Owners Frustrated After Multiple Cars Are Lit On Fire
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) - Vehicle owners are expressing frustration in Longmont after someone lit numerous cars on fire in the town over a stretch of two hours.
The cases were reported early Monday morning, and as of 5 p.m. police said a total of six vehicles were set on fire.
"Around 2:30 someone came banging on the door kind of yelling. I didn't really know what was going on. I got up, answered the door. Some guy yelled 'Your car is on fire,'" victim Glenn Johnson told CBS4. He had two computers and golf clubs in the car where it was parked on Long's Peak Avenue and they were destroyed.
Just down the block from Johnson there was a Buick blazing. Across the street a pickup truck was hit as well.
Investigators are trying to determine the pattern, and to find out what was used to start the fires.
"We have a dog that works for the fire department investigator and that dog will determine maybe some accelerants that may have been used," Longmont police Cmdr. Joel Post said.
In one of the cases, a man was seen running from the site of one of the car fires. He was described as being short and black and wearing black clothing with a patch.
"To see it in the state that it is and considering the length of time at least that we saw it burning, it really seemed to me that there would have had to been something that sort of ignited and got that process going," said victim Tim Broderick, whose Subaru was destroyed.
Police said they will be increasing patrols in an effort to solve the cases. They are also trying to find any video of the incidents and are asking the public's help for information.
CBS4's Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.
