East Bay Carsonist Strikes Again

It seems an East Bay firebug is still not satisfied, even after setting almost 20 vehicles ablaze since the beginning of the month.

Firefighters found three cars on fire Monday night in San Pablo. One was discovered at about 9:30 p.m. on Rumrill Boulevard; the others about two hours later on 18th Street.

Anika Johnson told the Chronicle that one of the cars was her brother's Nissan Altima.

"I was wondering what it was," Johnson said. "For a moment, I hesitated, and then I hear a boom. I jumped up and looked and I saw all this haze, and then smoke and fire everywhere."

Johnson's boyfriend's Buick was the other target of the carsonist.

The incident has so rattled Johnson's mother, she is ready to pack her stuff and leave. "It's just crazy." Paula Johnson said. "I want to move now."

The arsonist broke into the cars and found flame-worthy material inside to start the fires, investigators said.

The overnight fires are the latest in a string of arsons in the area. Three were torched in El Sobrante and Richmond on Nov. 7 and 12 more were found in flames a few days earlier not far away.

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