Cars Set Ablaze Blocks Apart In Apparent Miami-Dade Arson Attacks

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter  

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Authorities are trying to find out who's responsible for arson attacks in southwest Miami-Dade County overnight.

Several vehicles were set ablaze at three separate locations within a six-block radius.

Calls came in back to back from each home affected.  

The first call came in from an office building parking lot where an SUV was burning at about 1:30 a.m. near 102nd and Miller Drive.  

As the Miami-Dade fire department and police department investigated that fire, they saw smoke coming from not too far away. 

That's when the second call came in at 2:09 a.m. Two cars, a Jaguar and a Chevy, were burning at Miller's Tires off 107th Avenue and Miller Drive. Surveillance video from the tire shop shows two small explosions and then you see a figure run off. 

Just a few blocks away, another call came in from a home saying a pickup truck was on fire near 104th Avenue and 56th Terrace at 3:32 a.m.

The homeowner, Jason Dettbarn, was awakened to find his truck on fire.

"I arrived at a home, a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old in bed, calmly sleeping. We hear my truck on fire and luckily the fire department was right down the street, otherwise my house would have been on fire in just a few minutes," said Dettbarn.

At the office park where the SUV was torched, business owners were worried.

"This is very concerning. We've never had anything like that here in the area, never," said Bill Helbig with State Farm.

Employees at the auto shop were also concerned.

"This has never happened, so it must be something that's new around the area," said Juergen Tijerino with Miller Auto Care.

Miami-Dade Police say it's too early in their investigation to say if the three are connected, but say they're very aware these fires could have led to something much bigger. 

"When you have a fire and you have a vehicle fire that occurs, anyone can get hurt in a situation in a situation like this. It's property but that fire can run into a home close by," said Detective Daniel Ferrin with Miami-Dade Police. 

Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.