ABINGTON, Mass. (WCVB/CNN Newsource/WKRC) – Police caught a man red-handed as he poured two gallons of gasoline onto a police chief’s cruiser that was parked outside of the department’s station.
A lieutenant with the Abington Police Department noticed a suspicious man carrying two one-gallon jugs outside of the police station at around 9 a.m. on January 16. The man allegedly approached the police chief’s cruiser, which was parked in a spot marked with the word “chief,” and started pouring the contents of one of the jugs onto the vehicle.
Police caught a man red-handed as he poured two gallons of gasoline onto a police chief’s cruiser that was parked outside of the department’s station. (WCVB, Abington Police, Rangecast via CNN Newsource)
The lieutenant left the station and stopped the man from pouring more liquid, and another officer called for backup after realizing that the liquid in question was gasoline. Officers said the man was also holding a lighter, and was likely moments away from igniting the vehicle.
“He was going to light the cruiser on fire and the cruiser was very close to the building,” said Abington Police Chief John Bonney. “The building would have gone up and this could have been catastrophic, but our lieutenant acted really quickly and really saved the day here.”
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The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Franklin Cedarholm, was brought to the hospital for a mental health evaluation before being charged with attempted arson, malicious damage to a motor vehicle, and trespassing. Bonney indicated that Cedarholm was known to the department, but did not elaborate in what way.