After two cars caught fire in a three-day span last week in the parking lot of a student housing complex, local authorities are investigating the incidents as connected acts of arson.
Both incidents occurred in the parking lot of the Arch Bloomington, a student apartment complex at 703 W. Gourley Pike. The first car fire, in which a Jeep burned, happened Wednesday. The second, which involved a Buick Regal, was reported at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday.
Bloomington Police Sgt. George Connolly said the first fire appeared at the time to be an isolated incident and was not investigated as arson. The fact that the second fire occurred closely in time and place to the other triggered the creation of an arson case.
So far, the proximity and short time span are the only connections between the fires, Connolly said, but the Bloomington Fire Department is investigating the incidents.
Jack Evans
