PALM BAY, Fla. --
Palm Bay police are looking for a cruel arsonist who went around torching people's cars at random. At least seven cars and a trailer were torched overnight in Palm Bay.
Cars were completely burned up early Thursday morning and, police said, the arsonist appears to have picked the victim's vehicles randomly.
Firefighters tried to keep up as someone burned the more than half-dozen vehicles, beginning at around 2:00am. They believe whoever it was poured gasoline on the cars before igniting them.
"While I was in route to that one, just one-by-one they started coming in all across the southeast and southwest part of Palm Bay," said Detective Ernest Diebel, Palm Bay Police Department.
Police don't know if the arsonist was on foot or in a vehicle, but all the scenes were fairly close together.
"Two could have been a coincidence, three we knew something was happening. And then we got to four, five, six and we knew for sure that there was somebody out there setting fires on purpose," Diebel said.
Owners of the vehicles and other residents called 911 about the fires in a steady stream, understandably upset as their cars appeared to just burst into flames.
"Obviously, very excited, very concerned. We're trying to alleviate any questions they may have," said Capt. Jim Bliss, Palm Bay Fire Department.
The sheriff's office assisted in the search for the suspect Thursday, with a helicopter overhead looking for any sign of the suspect, but did not find anyone.
Investigators said at least three of the seven cars were destroyed. Some victims suggested Molotov cocktails were used to start the fires, but investigators said there was no evidence of that.
If you have any information, you're asked to call the Palm Bay Police Department.
