El Cajon

A gun-wielding arsonist doused four cars with gasoline and set them aflame Thursday morning at the McBurnie Coachcraft auto design company in El Cajon, sheriff’s officials said.

Firemen put out the blazes in the 8100 block of Wing Avenue but not before they caused $61,750 in damage to the cars and the business.

Employees reported that a man dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask arrived at the business with two cans of gasoline and a handgun about 7 a.m., said Sheriff’s Lt. Bob Trevino. The man ordered six employees to lie on the floor, then poured the gas over the cars and set them afire. As he left, the employees noticed that the license plate on a car driven by the arsonist was covered with paper.