EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) - Residents in Santa Clara are still cleaning up after someone, possibly multiple people, lit cars on fire.
The incidents occurred early Thursday morning around two or three on Wisteria Street. Neighbors called the fire department after they heard a big "boom" and saw flames coming from a black SUV parked in a driveway. That black SUV belonged to Rosemary Dyke's son. It was a company car.
"I woke up and saw flashing lights," Dyke told NewsSource 16. "I asked my son, what happened? He said someone tried to set fire to my car and they ruined the gas tank."
As of Friday afternoon, the black SUV still sat in the driveway with a charred bumper, a melted gas tank and a flat, melted tire.
"They made a mess of my driveway! The tire and the gas tank melted, and left black tar on my driveway," said Dyke.
The Lane County Sheriff's Office said they believe someone stuck a wick-like fuse into the gas tank, setting it on fire.
A next door neighbor's truck was another casualty. However, Meiko Eslinger took it in to the shop right away. Eslinger said the cost to fix her truck was already in the hundreds.
Another SUV, at the end of the street, had its gas tank charred, too. On the back of the vehicle, spray paint damaged the white paint with no identified shape or word. The same spray paint was left on various garage doors, including Dyke's. She said they woke up to find obscene words written out. Luckily, a neighbor who works in the painting industry helped clean it off.
"We're glad everyone is safe," Dyke said. "We were afraid of it exploding. It was very scary."
She added that all of the lights around the house were on. Her car was in the garage at the time, so that's why she believes her car wasn't attacked the same way.
The Lane County Sheriff's Office told NewsSource 16 they have yet to identify any suspects.
If you know anything about this case, call their office at 541-682-4150.
