BEVERLY — Two motorists returned to the Beverly Depot parking lot early Saturday morning to discover a chilling scene: rags and newspapers stuffed inside the fill spouts of their cars' gas tanks.
In the most frightening incident, a 51-year-old Salem man found the newspapers had been lit and his Ford Ranger pickup truck scorched by flames.
"He left work at midnight and discovered a rolled-up newspaper smoldering in his driver's-side fill," said Beverly police Lt. Michael Devlin.
The victim did not report the incident until he returned to work Saturday night, police said.
In the second case, a 47-year-old Danvers man contacted police after returning to the lot at 2:48 a.m. Saturday to find his 2005 Hummer had been tampered with.
"He found his gas cap off and a rag stuffed into the tank opening," Devlin said.
The two cars were about 150 feet apart in the same downtown parking lot near River and Park streets.
Police said they do not believe the victims were being targeted.
There has not been an incident of this kind in Beverly in years, Devlin said.
Both the arson and attempted arson are under investigation, police said.
Although police are not linking the incidents, a 31-year-old man was arrested yesterday morning at River House, a homeless shelter on River Street, on four outstanding warrants — including three default warrants for burning a motor vehicle.
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
