When police arrived, they spoke with the victim who said she thinks the suspects are former tenants because she received threatening text messages from them and has had problems with them in the past.
“(The former tenant) texted (the victim) stating, ‘I’ll burn that (house) down and wait for the cops with a smile on my face',” the report said.
Officers then spoke with a witness who said she saw a dark green Chevrolet Silverado with three people matching the description of the former tenants.
The fire department initially responded to the residence around 6:50 p.m. on Saturday and was able to extinguish the fire without the house being a total loss.
“The fire department located the source of the fire at the southeast window near the kitchen. They stated that the fire looked suspicious and appeared that someone attempted to set the plywood covering the window on fire,” the report said.
Officers were also dispatched around 9:25 a.m. on Saturday to the 1300 block of Albemarle Road in reference to a suspicious car fire, according to a Springfield police report.
The Springfield Fire Division was called to the scene around 9:05 a.m., and when police arrived the fire was under control.
“(Officers) observed a black Pontiac Firebird with severe fire damage to the seating area and some to the hood of the vehicle,” the report said.
The fire division told police they believe the fire was an arson.
“Firefighters advised that they believed it was not a mechanical issue and that the fire started inside the vehicle on the passenger side,” the report said.
No other suspect or witness information was available for either incident, and Springfield Police and Fire Divisions continue their investigations.
About the Author
