Santa Cruz city vehicles torched in suspicious fire linked to homeless sweeps

SANTA CRUZ -- Police in Santa Cruz are investigating a suspicious fire early Thursday morning that destroyed six city vehicles and appeared related to newly painted graffiti messages found nearby criticizing treatment of the homeless, according to authorities.

According to police, at approximately 1:30 a.m. Thursday, "a fire was ignited at the City Parks Yard, destroying six City Parks vehicles." Police also found spray-painted messages left at the scene related to the city's homelessness response work.

One message on a exterior building wall read "Leave homeless alone!" while a second message spray painted on the pavement said "Stop sweeping!" 

 Police said the damage from the fire is currently estimated at around $300,000.

"This egregious incident is an attack on the City and on our employees who work hard every single day. Our first priority is our employees' safety, and we are working with the Parks team to ensure they receive any support they need," J. Elizabeth Smith with the city manager's office told KSBW.  

The police investigation is ongoing with officers canvasing the area for possible witnesses and checking for surveillance video that might provide clues as to who could have started the destructive fire.

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• Fire
• Crime