By Jorge Casuso
July 9, 2009 – The Santa Monica Police and Fire Departments have formed a task force to find an arson suspect believed to have set five abandoned cars on fire during a one-week spree.
The two latest incidents took place Monday on the 1700 block of Franklin Street, fire officials said.
Three other parked cars were torched late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning the week before. The first two blazes on June 30 took place on the 1600 block of Stanford Street, the next morning’s blaze took place on the 1500 block of Yale Street.
Two of the vehicles were partially damaged; the third was totally burned.
The five vehicles are described as a 1989 Toyota van, a 1989 Volvo, a 2001 Suzuki Sidekick, and a 1990 and a 2005 Mercedes-Benz.
“We’re treating this more as a criminal investigation,” said Santa Monica Fire Capt. Brad Graham.
All five fires took place near the eastern edge of the city late at night or early in the morning, fire officials said.
“All of the fires are pretty much in the same area,” Graham said. “Something’s going on in that specific area. Why that area? The task force is working on that.
“There’s no doubt that the fires are suspicious. We’re going to treat them as arson.”
Graham said police and fire personnel have a “heightened sense of awareness.”
“We keep our fingers crossed they don’t get emboldened and torch a vehicle next to a house,” Graham said.
Anyone with information should call Santa Monica Police at 310.458.8426. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call 1.800.4700.
