http://www.svherald.com/articles/2006/0 ... /news7.txt

Also see "Criminals Try to Blow Up Border Patrol Car."

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=33817


Someone tried to set agent's vehicle on fire
By Gentry Braswell

SIERRA VISTA — A failed, apparent arson attempt on a marked U.S. Border Patrol vehicle is under investigation by the agency, a spokesman said.

Sierra Vista police at 6 a.m. Thursday responded to a home in the 4800 block of Paseo la Paz, where the target vehicle was parked in a driveway. Police found an “extensive” amount of items that apparently were used in an attempt to light the vehicle on fire, Sierra Vista police Lt. Adam Thrasher said. No suspects have been named or arrested.

Officers found that someone used what appeared to be a duct-tape fuse soaked with a gasoline-oil mixture, which had burned almost through on the sidewalk just down the street from the driveway. Under and on top of the tire was a substance believed to be gunpowder and pellets from a shotgun bird-shot shell casing, according to police.

A plastic bottle containing the gasoline-oil mixture also was found under the tire. Leading from the tire to the duct-tape fuse on the sidewalk was what appeared to be a trail of the gasoline-oil mixture that had apparently evaporated before being ignited by the duct-tape fuse.

No damage was caused to the federal vehicle.

Such vandalism is less common in urban areas, compared to the incidents during rural patrols of border areas, Border Patrol spokesman Gustavo Soto said.

“There have been other attempts on vehicles before,” he said. Thursday morning’s incident is not indicative of any sort of current increase of such vandalism, he said, however.

“These are very isolated events,” Soto said.

He did not comment whether the apparent arson attempt appeared to be the work of an expert, nor did he comment on whether the intent was to destroy or just damage the vehicle.

REPORTER Gentry Braswell can be reached at 515-4680.