Results tagged “arson”

More vehicles were set ablaze in the recent string of car fire hitting the Bay Area. BCN reports, "The fires were reported at around 2:15 a.m. in the 2100 block of Vale Road near San Pablo Avenue, where two vehicles appear to have been set ablaze at the same location." No injuries were reported; no arrests. Over 20 cars have been torched in the last month.

Two vehicles had to be extinguished by firefighters this morning in the city's South of Market District. According to Appeal/BCN, "Units responded to Jessie and Sixth streets at around 5:15 a.m. to a report of a vehicle fire ... Two vehicles were found burned at the same location."

Well, this is getting downright creepy. Two "deliberately set" cars were set ablaze last night in the city of Richmond. BCN reports, that "[t]he first occurred at a home in the 600 block of 12th Street at around 11:45 p.m." where a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am was toasted. Then, around two hours later, a "second fire was reported in a driveway in the 4300 block of Center Avenue at around 1:40 a.m.," this time a 1990 Mitsubishi.

The carsonist -- or a copycat carsonist, or a copycat copycatting the copycat carsonist -- stuck three times in the Easy Bay last night. Three evening car fires hit San Pablo, and authorities are seeing if they're related to the recent string of auto immolation in El Sobrante.

Let's face it, the Carsonist has been a pale imitation of the infamous Toilet Torcher. Which is why we were amused to hear that the Toilet Torcher (or a copycat) made a dramatic return at around 1 a.m. this morning in the city's Pac Heights hood.

While we can't say for certain that this morning's most recent vehicular fire is the work of the carsonist -- the lunatic who immolated SF cars earlier this year -- they do have a lot in common. Last night, for example, "[a]uthorities responded to a car fire Tuesday morning in unincorporated Contra Costa County, close to where 3 vehicle fires were reported over the weekend and at least 10 were reported last week."

Three more cars were torched Saturday, all of them being "less than a mile away from one another, and at about the same time." This comes on the heels of 12 vehicles getting charred crispy black in the East Bay last week.

ABC7 is reporting on a string of 10 car fires that broke out early this morning, beginning with multiple locations along San Pablo Dam Road in Richmond (that's the City of Richmond, not *the* Richmond where the SF carsonist frequently struck). Police seem to already be honing in on a suspect, and unlike the SF carsonist, this one was a little more aggressive and a little less wily. Assuming this is a different carsonist, what is it about 2009 that makes this the era of car fires?

Another car was lit ablaze, this one over in the Sunset district. Over at Irving Street at Great Highway last night, authorities responded to a report of a small vehicle fire at 9 p.m.-ish. The car fire was put out immediately. No word as to who or what started the blaze. Pot busts and car fires, a regular feature in the Sunset. Alas.

You want another car fire? Well, we've got another car fire for you. An auto was set ablaze early this morning outside the Oakland Hills home of UC President Mark Yudof. The fire was started sometime before 2 a.m., and the bomb squad was also called in since it was right across the street from where the UC President lives. No arrests have been made. Yudof's home, as many of you know, has played host to a myriad of protests in the past, most recently due to UC budget cuts.

Although a 62-year-old homeless woman named Fafa Chan is considered the prime suspect in last month's auto fires, and also in that string of porta-potty fire earlier this year, a car fire erupted early this morning. It seems, according to reports, someone "set a book on fire and placed it underneath a rear tire of a Honda Accord near the corner of 21st Avenue and Balboa Street"in the Richmond around 3:15 a.m. Which is interesting. Anyway, no injures were reported, no arrests were made.

According to yesterday's Richmond Police newsletter (via RichmondSF), an arsonist was arrested yesterday.

First, it's no longer the Auto Arsonist, it's "Carsonist" (TM: Eve Batey) which is way radder sounding. Second, he or she took the night off. The person(s) responsible for at least 12 car fires since Saturday didn't strike last night. (One possible reason? A female arsonist was arrested last night at the Transbay Terminal, but police have yet to connect her to the car torches, so we cannot hand her the carsonist sash and tiara just yet.) But if you know anything about this week's rash of auto fires, please call the SFPD.

Here's a handy map that shows where the dastardly Auto Arsonist has flicked his or her Bic. Since Saturday morning, a whopping 11 automobiles have been torched. Why? No one knows yet, exactly. The incidents have happened all over San Francisco, from Ocean Beach to North Beach.

Last night, four more cars were immolated during the wee hours of the night. A little before 11:30 p.m. in the Bayview neighborhood at Newcomb Avenue and Selby Street, a car was lit ablaze. However, San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge claimed that the Bayview incident wasn't related to the alleged Auto Arsonist. But the next three fires probably are. Two vehicles were "found on fire at Francisco and Powell streets in North Beach at 2 a.m.," SFGate reported. And, at around 3:25 a.m., "a Honda was found burning at La Playa and Balboa streets near Ocean Beach." This brings the total number of singed automobiles to 11 since Saturday. The is starting to get scary.

A total of seven cars in San Francisco were set ablaze since Saturday. Early this morning, according to CBS 5/KCBS, "Arson investigators responded to the scene of two early morning car fires in San Francisco," one in the Outer Richmond and another in the Western Addition. Also, a pickup truck was torched at 29th and Geary, bringing this morning's total to three. While it's still too early to determine whether the injured autos, a minivan and Volvo station wagon, are related to the other four immolated autos that happened over the weekend, it sure does look suspicious. Cars were previously set on fire, starting on Saturday, at 3 a..m in the Financial District on the 200-block of California Street, between Battery and Front streets; Saturday night at Franklin and Fern streets; Sunday morning at Van Ness Avenue and Olive Street near the Civic Center; and Monday at around 2:30 a.m. on 12th Street near South Van Ness Avenue. No word yet if the Auto Arsonist and the Toilet Torcher, the pyro who torched porta-potties in early 2009, are the same person, but hopefully not. We don't care much for crossover arsonists. (Har.)

     

What in God's name is this all about, select participant(s) who engaged in fire play during Friday's end-of-month ride, but by no means represent Critical Mass or the tireless work that they do as a whole?

The iconic Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks was set on fire by possible vandals at around 5 a.m. this morning, damaging a 25-by-30 foot area. The fire was extinguished thirty minutes later. Arson investigators are still trying to determine the cause. Mark Leno told CBS5 (video) that this isn't the first time it's happened, and that it will be repaired in time for next year's pride weekend. As Leno explained, the Pink Triangle is highly visible and vulnerable. In CBS5's video report about the incident, a resident mentions that there are lots of rare plants on Twin Peaks that were likely damaged. On a side note, some of NBC Bay Area's commenters are ignoramuses.

Over the last two days, according to the Chronicle, an arson spree set several vehicles ablaze in the early morning hours. Three of the fiery attacks, it seems, "happened this morning, all of them in different neighborhoods." (!?) One torching occurred on the 700 block of Commercial Street in Chinatown ("damaged two trucks and a minivan about 4:40 a.m.), another happened car on the 100 block of Downey Street (around 4:20 a..m.), and the final one was on the 1900 block of Newcomb Avenue (at about 5:25 a.m.) The report goes on to say that "a motorcycle was set ablaze on the 500 block of Belvedere Street in Parnassus Heights" early Sunday morning. Creepy. No one was injured, no arrests have been made. In other news, whatever happened to the Toilet Torcher?

Rape, murder, kidnapping, drugging, Ogilvie home perm disasters -- is there any crime Melissa Huckaby won't commit? Well, now we might be able to add 'arson' to her ever-growing list of felonies. The woman charged with killing and raping 8-year-old Sandra Cantu "has been questioned in connection with two arson fires in Orange County," according to CBS 5. While never convicted, Huckaby was a "person of interest" in two fires that broke out eight days from each other at a home where she rented a room in 2007. The damage to the charred house cost around $90,000. Huckaby remains in jail on murder and rape charges. She is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

Almost a year after the Santa Cruz Mountains were set ablaze, authorities arrested Channing Verden, a contractor hired to clear brush in the mountainous terrain, for arson. According to the Merc, "Verden has been charged with one felony count of unlawfully causing a fire, plus an enhancement of causing multiple structures to burn." If convicted, Verden faces a maximum of seven years in state prison. If you recall, the fire torched 4,270 acres and destroyed over 100 structures.

The person(s) responsible for immolating porta-potties over the last few months may see his or her days come to an end. Oakland-based Clorox is offering a sweet $5,000 reward and a year's supply of toilet cleaning products for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Toilet Torcher.Since November, AP reports, "more than two dozen construction site toilets have been set on fire in the city, causing an estimated $50,000 in property damage and leaving a trail of foul-smelling evidence."

You thought the Toilet Torcher was gone? Nah. Now that the rain has passed, the outhouse arsonist has struck again, this time all the way over at Baker Beach. According to Emergency_In_SF, "[a]nother portable toilet up in flames. This time at Baker's Beach. San Francisco Fire Department has it extinguished." The Toilet Torcher, if you recall, typically sets potties ablaze in Nob Hill and Russian Hill. This most recent crapper attack strays from his or her normal path of destruction.

    

Flickr photog Erik Gibb managed to snap these super pics of Sunday's Portreo Hill porta-potty immolation, which brought the number of blazes to 23 since November. If we're not mistaken, these are the first images of the Toilet Torcher's criminal activity in progress. Fortunately, the rain prevented the fire from igniting the trees along the sidewalk. this could have been much worse.

Another porta-potty was found torched in San Francisco this past Sunday afternoon, but this it happened in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. Reported at 4:25 p.m., the flame-up happened at the intersection of Kansas and 15th streets. Could this be a copycat? We can't imagine the Toilet Torcher, whose neighborhood preference of immolation are swank Russian Hill and Nob Hill, would dare stray from the upper echelons. Anyway, this most recent outhouse arson is the 23rd incident since early November.

Members of the community (i.e., Mitchell Engineering, Michael Byrne, Platinum Advisors, Webcor Construction Company, Boston Properties, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco Fire Commissioners, PG&E, and American Airporter Shuttle) have donated more money thus increasing the reward from $25,000 to $75,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) who set fire to a two-story Portola apartment building. The Feb. 6 blaze, if you recall, injured several SF firefighters. Any info should be directed to the Arson Task Force at 415-575-4444.

Authorities are offering a $25,000 reward for info leading to the arrest of the person(s) who set fire to a two-story Portola apartment building. The fire injured six firefighters, with two sent to the hospital, on Feb. 6. Former SF Mayor Willie Brown verbally ripped the chaps who did this a new hole today at a press conference today. "We have to find the culprit," Brown vented. "San Francisco's finest has been threatened." But the good news in all this is that if any of you know the culprits, call the Arson Task Force's anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444. (Of course, to collect, you might want to give them your name.)

If we may get all TV Guide you for a second: Cheers, SF Weekly, for reporting on the Toilet Torcher's illuminating crime wave. You have proven a formidable journalistic force when it comes to porta-potty arson in the Russian Hill, Nob Hill and Marina . The Toilet Torcher has just immolated his or her 22nd crapper, this time on the 700 block of Chestnut yesterday, and you manage to keep up with the fiery fella. Kudos.

San Francisco's Toilet Torcher is making national headlines. (Also, AP is calling him or her the "Toilet Torcher," to which SFist will take full credit, thank you. Ha ha.) And for some it's positively vexing. Scott Johnson, a 57-year-old contractor who was working on apartment building renovations in Russian Hill, describes the immolations as "an outrage."

Jim Herd over at SFCitizen captured the gruesome aftermath of the Toilet Torcher's 21st victim. This just makes it all too real.