Community: Arsonist caused car fire

There was a blip in the Sheriff’s report in Saturday’s paper about a car fire on Wildwood Drive in Oak Harbor. What it didn’t say is that it was arson. Someone stuffed a rag into the gas tank opening and lit it on fire at about 10:40 p.m., on May 31. The car is an older 1982 Mustang that did not have a locking gas cap. It was parked at 1183 Wildwood Drive just off of Monroe Landing.

I can’t imagine it being a “hate” crime because our family is pretty well known and liked. It’s assumed at this point, that it was done as a prank or for a vendetta against one of my children, by local teens or pre-teens who live in the area. It was a very, very stupid and dangerous prank. Fortunately the fire was noticed quickly and so the response was immediate since several firefighters and EMT’s live in the neighborhood, and the resulting damage was minimal, thanks to some fast acting neighbors.

I would like to say “thank you” to the lady who noticed the fire as she was leaving the area and to the neighbor, an ER person, who put it out so quickly after hearing the call go out on 911.

If anyone was in the area at the time and may have noticed someone near the car, please let the sheriff’s department know.

I want to point out that this was hopefully an isolated incident and to warn others that this could happen to you. Putting locking gas caps on your older vehicles will slow “pranksters” down.

I’d also like to make it known to my neighbors in that area, there has been increasing acts of vandalism, most likely by the same kids. Not all of it has been reported. Time to start watching out for each other a little more diligently. Granted, I’ve recently moved from there to just up the hill in Coupeville, but it’s still “home” to me and I care about what happens to my former friends and neighbors.

Welcome to the Maylors who have recently moved into my vacated home. My thanks go out to them for their help with the car fire incident and my apologies as well, for the trouble they had to go through because of it. I hope they recognize that this was an unusual event and not the norm for that area. What a way to welcome your new neighbors.

Dee Nelson

Coupeville

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