$15,000 Reward Offered In Attempted Arson At Police, Fire Department Garage
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--There's now a $15,000 reward as police look for the man who they say tried to set city vehicles on fire in a Southwest Philadelphia garage last week.
Police say the man who they're looking for tried to set fire to cars parked below the 12th district police station and Engine 40 firehouse at 65th and Woodland.
At around 5:30 a.m. last Wednesday a police supervisor smelled gasoline. In the garage, police say officers found empty gas cans along with a shirt, sheet and boots soaked in gasoline. There was a potentially explosive path, police say, leading to Streets Department cars and cars belonging to cops and firefighters.
Police say the would-be arsonist went into the garage six times in an hour and he was seen wearing a white bed sheet and pushing a baby stroller. The suspect eventually leaves after unsuccessfully trying to start the blaze.
"There are some flammable liquids inside that he takes and he dumps along the floor and then takes a sheet and tries to ignite that and he opens the gas tanks on cars," said Lt. John Walker, with the Philadelphia Police Department. "You got multiple people in that building doing work throughout the night. An underground fire could have had devastating results," Walker said.
Police are not sure if the suspect is homeless, but neighbor Joe Davis believes he is and says he's glad someone's home surveillance camera was recording that morning.
"Lately, you know we've been having problems with pretty much homeless guys that go around and do simple things. They take things off of your porches and things like that," said Joe Davis.
Davis is now pushing for more cameras to be installed in the area—a deterrent for any other crime in this west Philly neighborhood.
"We're trying to get, especially on our block and you know, in the area, at least two or three properties. Let's get some cameras up. We really don't want to be out here going fist to cuffs with these guys because you never really know what's going to happen," said Davis.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.
