BREAKING: Tuolumne Co. Sheriff's Patrol Cars Torched Overnight
SONORA (CBS13) –- The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department came under attack overnight as several patrol cars were torched outside the department headquarters in what is being called an act of terrorism.
The patrol cars were parked outside the sheriff's department headquarters on Lower Sunset Drive in Sonora when they were set ablaze just after 3 a.m. on Thursday, according to Sonora Fire Captain Grant Miller.
Fire crews arrived to find several vehicles on fire. It took firefighters about five minutes to douse the flames.
Three patrol cars and a suspect vehicle were burned and several other patrol cars were damaged by heat and smoke.
Investigators believe the suspect parked a stolen Toyota truck in between the patrol cars and set it on fire, which then spread to the other vehicles. Two patrol cars are considered a total loss and nine others have some sort of damage.
Tuolumne County Sheriff Jim Mele called the attack an act of terrorism. The FBI and ATF have been called into help with the criminal investigation.
It's unclear how the loss of the patrol cars will impact the department's ability to patrol the county.
