Southern York County Life

Anybody else following this story?

Two more vehicle fires at the hand of serial arsonist

I’m following it, and although it doesn’t say so in the article, I seriously hope the State Police are involved, they need to escalate this to them, while it’s probably just kids, I’m afraid what’s going to happen when one of them is caught in the act by someone who is armed.

Why are you afraid for them? They’d get exactly what they deserve. If I came home from work and found them setting fire to the wife’s SUV which is parked right next to the house, you can be sure I’ll make them sorry they were ever born.

Uh, because if it’s a kid, no matter how stupid they are, I’d hate to see them lose their life.  I was a stupid kid once, and did real stupid things.

So you went around destroying property and putting peoples lives in danager? It sure isn’t an eight year old doing it, if they’re old enough to drive then they know better and they’re old enough to suffer any consequence of their doing ‘stupid things’.

Being a kid is not a license for stupidity. Now, I don’t think we should go head hunting, but we also shouldn’t excuse him for it because he is a kid.

Anybody else following this story?

Two more vehicle fires at the hand of serial arsonist

Tom is a personal friend of my family and he did not deserve for this to happen to him. His son was a participant in a contest that aired on national television which awarded scholarships. His son was home schooled by both parents and his son was awarded a hefty scholarship which he used at a prestigious university.

No one deserves to be victimized by the arsonist(s)!

I heard about it today. One of the girls I go to school with lives on Meadow. She said that they’re targeting the streets of the kids that were in the court.  The sad thing, is that the dance was for charity, and it had to be canceled because of threats.  Supposedly there are playing cards lined from the burning car to the front porch of the home, with a message.

Just ridiculous, and, when the kids are caught, hopefully they learn their lesson.  Doubtful, but maybe.

I’m guessing this was started as a prank that has escalated into a serious crime.  Those responsible are probably coming to realize the joke is now something that’s going to get them real jail time.  As it should.  There’s no going back now.  It’s gone beyond youthful indiscretion.  Let’s hope they are caught before innocent people are hurt more than they already have been.

If this is in fact being done by kids, where the heck are the parents?  I cant conceive my child ‘sneaking’ out at all hours of the night...not once but several times in a short time period, and doing these things without me having some idea about it.  Like the columbine and other idiots making supplies in the garage....someone wasnt paying the least bit of attention at home.  I know our kids are bound to get some things by us, but please.

The whole thing is very unnerving....its way beyond a prank, or teen mischief at this point.

5coops - 05 February 2010 08:54 AM

If this is in fact being done by kids, where the heck are the parents?  I cant conceive my child ‘sneaking’ out at all hours of the night...not once but several times in a short time period, and doing these things without me having some idea about it.  Like the columbine and other idiots making supplies in the garage....someone wasnt paying the least bit of attention at home.  I know our kids are bound to get some things by us, but please.

The whole thing is very unnerving....its way beyond a prank, or teen mischief at this point.

Agreed. 

Hard to believe the parent/s are missing the signs, like leaving in the middle of the night (unless he is telling them he is sacking out at a buddies house), there has to be the smell of gasoline or another propellant in and around his car. 

He can’t be a happy kid but is getting a huge thrill from the fires and the reactions at his school, so there must be some pretty wild swings in his demeanor in the last few weeks.

The creepy thing about this whole situation is that it seems his behavior is starting to escalate, with 2 fires in his last attack.  Somebody who is willing to start a fire that is directed at specific students, leaves playing cards with written messages for the cops (cause he wants his classmates to know too), has some serious issues.

Hope they catch him/them soon.

Here’s irony at its finest for you.

Several years ago there was a serious problem on I-83N and I-83S on the PA side. Vehicles were being pelted with rocks and hard mud balls causing drivers to be startled and caused some serious accidents. State Police patrolled the I-83 corridor north and south hoping to catch the criminal. Yes, criminal. Why criminal? Someone could have died in a vehicle accident after having their vehicle pelted with rocks while driving the speed limit on the Interstate. Imagine driving on an Interstate keeping the speed limit and a large rock hitting the windshied of your vehicle. I seem to recall reading in the local newspapers that the guesstimated mph for the rock was 70mph. The criminals would get on the Interstate traveling north and would hurl a rock and then exit quickly and get back on the Interstate again traveling south and hurl another rock. Sometimes they would hurl only one rock and take off. After two weeks the criminal(s) were caught.

One of the criminals happened to be the son of the warden at York County Prison. The criminal was enrolled at York College and studying Criminal Justice! The criminal happened to play on York College’s Baseball team and was an excellent pitcher. Nothing happened to the criminal to my knowledge as I never read anything in the local newspapers about him receiving a sentence. He got off with a slap on the wrist! Another fine example of the old saying “Rank has its priviledges.”

BTW, the story about this crime appeared in local newspapers for several days and then nothing was published until the criminal was caught by State Police.

fmr-wht-tgr - 05 February 2010 06:20 PM

Hard to believe the parent/s are missing the signs, like leaving in the middle of the night (unless he is telling them he is sacking out at a buddies house), there has to be the smell of gasoline or another propellant in and around his car. 

Some parents work nights. Other parents are completely oblivious to what their kids do. The fact that they’re alive and breathing escapes them on a regular basis.

Some parents work nights. Other parents are completely oblivious to what their kids do. The fact that they’re alive and breathing escapes them on a regular basis.

Well said!

http://www.ydr.com/ci_15108955

I’m wondering if it’s a copycat? No arson involved (which I’m thankful for).  No fingerprints on the cards??  Any of them?  They’ll slip up. They almost always do.