8 MORE CARS BURN AS MIRA MESA ARSON FIRES CONTINUE

33 vehicles have been damaged since Dec. 21; investigators seek leads

At least eight more vehicles were damaged by arson fires in the Mira Mesa area early Monday, the latest in a series of fires that started nearly two weeks ago, San Diego police said.

In all, 33 vehicles have been damaged or destroyed in eight fires ignited in the Mira Mesa area since Dec. 21, said police Sgt. Rick Pechin, a spokesperson for the city’s Metro Arson Strike Team.

Two fires were reported Monday. In the first one, police were called shortly after 1:45 a.m. when someone at a complex on Black Mountain Road near Kearny Villa Road heard an explosion, looked outside and saw multiple cars on fire, San Diego police Officer Sarah Foster said.

Pechin said five vehicles were damaged in that fire.

The second suspicious fire was reported about an hour later on

Maya Linda Road near Carroll Canyon Road, where three vehicles were damaged.

No arrests have been made in the series, and the investigation is ongoing, Pechin said.

Fires suspected to be arson are referred to the arson team, a group of 10 investigators — six from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and four — one sergeant and three detectives — from the San Diego Police Department.

Pechin said the arson team believes the series began Dec. 21 when a vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence on Vela Drive near Menkar Road was set on fire around 1:35 a.m.

In one of the larger losses, an arsonist ignited a carport at a condominium complex on Caminito La Bar, off Calle Cristobal. Seventeen vehicles were damaged, with at least eight totaled. Damage was estimated at $250,000 to the structure and $300,000 to vehicles.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the arson team at (619) 236-6815 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (858) 5808477.