MIAMI – A bright flash of light is captured on surveillance video, a shocking act of arson caught on camera at a used car dealership during the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
And Miami police say they know who is behind it.
“The suspect, based on the video, we were able to determine who he is,” said Officer Michael Vega. “We know who he is. And we’re actively looking for him.”
The arsonist is seen walking back in forth in front of Magic City Auto, located on Southwest 8th Street near 32nd Avenue. Police say he was pouring some sort of accelerant, and the video even shows some of it splashing.
Shortly, after, cars are ignited and burst into flames. The suspect is seen running from the scene.
“We don’t suspect that he had prior incidents with this business just that this person is constantly in trouble, and once we arrest him we’ll know why he did this to this business,” Vega said.
A passing driver saw the fire and called 911. When the fire department arrived, they found at least three cars on fire. A fourth vehicle sustained some damage from the heat.
A manager estimates the total damage could be up to $60,000.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez said there were about 30 vehicles parked at the dealership.
“A type of incident like this can be a lot more dangerous, a lot more challenging,” he said. “The fire can spread rather quickly because of the fuels, the metals, the plastics that are in the vehicles.”
No injuries were reported.