UPDATE: Detectives arrest suspected Soquel car arsonist
UPDATE 2/2/16 4:20 PM: The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said the suspected Soquel car arsonist was arrested Tuesday afternoon.
Detectives arrested Brian Tell, 44, in his Aptos home after they found evidence linking him to the fires. Tell was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail.
UPDATE 1/20/16 1:45 PM: The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office released new details about Thursday morning’s fire in Soquel. They’re calling it arson, and asking for the public’s help as they investigate.
The Sheriff’s Office said ten cars were burned. Central Fire was dispatched to a business complex in the 2900 block of Park Avenue just after midnight. There, they found a car on fire.
About an hour later, they responded to another fire at an apartment complex on Subec Lane, just one block away. Firefighters found five cars on fire. A wooden car port with four more cars was also set on fire, but firefighters were able to quickly contain it.
The Sheriff’s Office said the total damage is estimated at more than $100,000. Detectives believe the two fires are connected. Anyone with information is asked to call dispatch at(831) 471-1121 or detectives at (831) 454-7600.
ORIGINAL STORY: The call came in shortly before 2:00 AM.
“Heard it first. It was popping, like lumber dropping, then heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot so I came out of the house,” said Eyewitness Willie King.
That was when Willie King saw the carport completely engulfed in flames.
“Arrived on scene and there was five vehicles involved in a carport, and so we initiated the fire attack. We had a few exposures with five being vehicles and two structures having some heat damage,” said Central Fire District Battalion Chief Dave Weybright.
Central Fire arrived first on scene.
“This area right here it blurs between our District and Aptos. Aptos was on a vehicle fire two blocks up,” said Weybright.
It’s unknown at this time if the two fires are connected. King said things like this just don’t happen in the quiet community.
“We don’t have arson, crime, or anything like that, so it’s just startling,” said King.
