VENTURA : Arson Suspected in Garage Break-In, Fire
Firefighters in Ventura suspect a blaze that gutted a wooden garage early Tuesday was deliberately set after someone broke into the structure and stole several large items, authorities said.
Capt. Glenn True said that when he arrived at 263 S. Pacific Ave. the door of the detached garage was open and “flames were bellowing out of it.”
After extinguishing the 4:30 a.m. blaze, firefighters found that a padlock on the garage door had been broken. The resident of the house, Daniel Holycross, also discovered that some of his property inside the garage was missing, but police would not disclose what exactly was taken.
Investigators have ruled out accidental causes, True said, and believe the blaze was an arson. Authorities have no suspects.
It appeared that flammable liquids burned during the fire, but investigators do not know whether they were used to start the blaze or ignited after it had already begun.
The fire caused an estimated $10,000 damage to the interior of the garage and destroyed about $2,000 worth of property, fire officials said.
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