North County
Two obstetrics and gynecology offices, one in Oceanside and the other in Carlsbad, were the targets of arson within 12 minutes of each other Sunday night, an Oceanside Fire Department spokesman said.
The doors of Vista Way Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Group, 3998 Vista Way in Oceanside, and Kaiser Permanente, 6860 Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad, were scorched when flammable liquid was set afire on the front steps of the offices, said Oceanside Fire Department senior inspector Tom Fitzgerald.
The first fire was reported at 7:16 p.m. at the Oceanside office, and the second fire followed 12 minutes later at Kaiser Permanente.
Inspectors are investigating whether the two fires were set by the same arsonist.
“I drove from the Oceanside office to the Carlsbad (office) and I did it in 12 minutes,” Fitzgerald said. “It can be done. It’s definitely a possibility that one person was responsible for both fires.”
Fitzgerald said the same two offices were set fire by an arsonist about two months ago. On April 15, a similar incident occurred at the the Oceanside facility, and on April 27 the Carlsbad office was set on fire. No one was arrested in the previous incidents.
The offices suffered only minor damages, Fitzgerald said.
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