ARSON INVESTIGATION: BSO Patrol Vehicle Catches Fire With Deputy Inside
Deerfield Beach Deputy’s Patrol Vehicle Catches Fire From Road Flare, Arson Is Suspected
DEERFIELD BEACH, FL – Boca Post (BocaPost.com) — Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident where someone may have thrown a road flare at a patrol vehicle causing it to catch fire with a deputy inside.
A statement from Broward Sheriff’s Office:
Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit need the public’s help to identify and locate an arsonist who used a lit flare to put a deputy in danger.
The crime occurred around 1:30 a.m. on July 3, 2022, near the 1000 block of West Hillsboro Boulevard in Deerfield Beach.
According to investigators, a BSO Deerfield Beach District deputy was parked in his marked patrol car when he noticed heavy smoke coming from the vehicle’s rear passenger side. A passerby also flagged the deputy down and advised him that his rear passenger tire was on fire. The deputy immediately exited the vehicle to investigate and observed the lit flare.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue and additional BSO deputies responded, and the fire was extinguished.
Preliminary investigation revealed the deputy was in the area with his emergency lights activated to deter street racers from speeding down Hillsboro Boulevard when the unknown arsonist lit the flare that placed the deputy in danger.
Investigators are urging anyone with information on this crime to contact Det. Kristina Luna at 954-321-4200, or to submit a tip through the SaferWatch App. If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States. Any information that leads to an arrest in this case is eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
