Truck vandal suspect arrested

San Rafael police have arrested a suspected vandal accused of pouring acid into five San FranciscoMarin Food Bank delivery trucks, causing more than $50,000 in damage.

Shahin Farman, 38 was arrested in Novato on Monday afternoon and booked into Marin County Jail.

The crime happened at about 6:25 a.m. Aug. 2 at the nonprofit's headquarters at 2550 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael police Lt. Dan Fink said. Surveillance video showed a man pull up in a van and pour a substance in the gas tanks of the trucks.

Investigators identified the vehicle as a 2000 Dodge Caravan and the suspect as Farman. San Rafael investigators notified Novato police that they believed Farman was residing in his vehicle in northern Marin.

Novato police received a report around 1:50 p.m. Monday of a man pouring a purple liquid over street signs on Fourth Street in downtown. The description of the suspect and his van matched that of Harman, police said.

Novato police located the van and detained Farman at Redwood Boulevard and Olive Avenue. Detectives searched the van and found gallon-sized containers of muriatic acid, a pool cleaning agent that is also used to clean tile and concrete, along with tin foil, which can be used together to create an explosive device, police said.

Clothing that matched what the suspect wore in the surveillance video was also found.

Farman was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism, littering waste matter, driving with a suspended license and making a destructive device without a permit. He remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of $45,000 bail.

Police have not established a motive for the crimes, Fink said.