Pipe Bomb Destroys Five Vermont Cars

BARRE, Vt. (AP) -- A pipe bomb explosion destroyed five vehicles and damaged a sixth parked at an apartment complex, police said Tuesday.

''It's one of the most serious things that has happened in Barre in a long time,'' said Police Chief Trevor Whipple.

Police said they did not know of a possible motive or have any suspects. No one was injured.

Detective Jonathan Keith, a member of the state police arson investigation unit who is heading up the probe, said the initial explosion early Monday ripped a hole in the gas tank of one car and set the fuel afire, setting off a series of smaller blasts that damaged or destroyed cars parked in adjacent spaces.

The bomb was placed under a car owned by apartment complex resident Alan Frost, but police said they had no reason to believe the man was a particular target of the attack.

Frost, 50, said he was getting ready to go to sleep when he heard the initial blast shortly after 1 a.m.

''Man, I heard this big 'Kaboom!' and let me tell you, that got me out of bed,'' he said. ''That was one hell of an explosion.''

Barre is a city of 9,300 people in central Vermont.