Man arrested for setting car on fire near Fort Lauderdale Jewish center
FORT LAUDERDALE — A man was arrested Saturday morning after setting a car on fire that burned part of a nearby Broward County Jewish center.
Fort Lauderdale Police told CBS News Miami that 51-year-old Scott Hannaford, who they stated is a transient resident of Fort Lauderdale, was arrested and charged with two counts of arsons, criminal mischief and possession of cocaine.
Around 7:21 a.m., FLPD responded to the 1300 block of East Las Olas Boulevard about a vehicle fire causing damage to a nearby Jewish Center, prompting arson investigators to look into the incident. It was then determined that the fire was set intentionally, FLPD stated.
The person responsible — who was quickly identified as Hannaford — was found and taken into custody within hours of the incident. He was then booked in the BSO Main Jail.
According to FLPD, Hannaford seems to suffer from mental illness and has been seen trespassing on the property before; however, the incident is believed to be isolated and not considered a hate crime.