Police chase firebombing Cinderella
An arsonist who fled the scene after allegedly firebombing two diggers in west Auckland left behind a distinctive sneaker which the owner hopes will help crack the case.
The diggers, valued at $200,000 each, were deliberately set alight at a construction site at Don Buck Rd, Massey, in west Auckland last Saturday night, police said.
The petrol tanks exploded with such force that neighbouring houses shook and woke residents. Two neighbours, alerted to something suspicious when the fire starters parked in their driveway, gave chase as the two arsonists ran back to their getaway car.
Shane Poulton, whose Silverdale excavation company JP Excavators was targeted in the attack, said a shoe believed to belong to one of the offenders was recovered by police at the site. Poulton is now using it as his Facebook profile picture.
‘‘I was like, ‘we have got your shoe mate. We are going to get your DNA’. Thanks to the neighbours we are on to a good lead and we will be able to find out hopefully who it is,’’ he said.
Neighbours were woken after midnight as one of the diggers petrol tanks exploded. ’’The house actually shuddered. It was a very loud explosion,’’ Camille Cowley said. She looked out her kitchen window and saw the two diggers alight. ’’Another tank then exploded. I dialled 111 at that point,’’ she said.
Poulton said his company’s 20 tonne Doosan excavator and 12 tonne Caterpillar digger, worth $200,000 each, ‘‘burnt to the ground’’.
Both machines weren’t sign written and another contractor’s digger on the site was left untouched, he said. It is the second time a JP Excavators digger has been targeted in a month, Poulton said.
In August staff working on earthworks at a subdivision on Eric Gifford Dr, Ranui, arrived to find the cab of a five tonne Kubota digger blackened. Poulton is now hiring diggers at $400 a day to finish the subdivision and said he won’t let the attacks stop him. ‘‘You can burn my diggers or whatever, I am still going to be coming back. I won’t let it phase me.
Police confirmed they were investigating the arson attack. ‘‘We are following positive lines of enquiry, however we cannot comment any further while the matter is under investigation.’’