This morning’s Chronicle reports that the serial car arsonist may have struck again, this time setting fire to a Honda Accord early this morning near the corner of 21st Avenue and Balboa Street.
Instead of using a newspaper to light the fire this time, the arsonist set a book ablaze and placed it under the rear tire. Firefighters were on the scene in enough time to put out the fire before any real damage was done to the vehicle.
On July 30, a woman was arrested a 61-year old woman on suspicion of two arsons using lighted newspapers. Last week a city judge threw out the charges on one fire, but she remains in custody awaiting trial on the second charge. Her attorney continues to assert that she has nothing to do with the rash of car fires that hit the city in July.
So, is the original, serial arsonist still up to no good? Or is this a copycat looking for media attention?
UPDATE: The SF Examiner reports that local fire department officials think this is a copycat crime unrelated to the July spree of car arsons, and that there has been “some similar malicious juvenile activity in the Richmond district in recent weeks.â€
Sarah B.