STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Authorities allege that a 23-year-old man from the Bronx set two cars on fire in Rosebank.
Manny Colon of Barnes Avenue was arrested on Dec. 5 in connection with the blazes, which occurred on Oct. 23 at about 5 a.m. on St. Mary’s Avenue near Tompkins Avenue, according to an investigation by fire marshals.
After his arrest, Colon allegedly told police he takes the subway from the East 180th Street station to the Staten Island Ferry and then a bus to a relative’s house in the borough, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
The criminal complaint alleges that Colon torched a 2019 Hyundai Elantra, rendering it inoperable.
The defendant allegedly applied a flammable liquid to the hood and then used an open flame to light the car on fire, according to the source.
The body of the Hyundai was charred, the front bumper of the vehicle dissolved and the inner mechanisms of the vehicle melted, according to the complaint.
The fire also charred the body and trunk and melted the back bumper of a 2010 Honda Civic, the complaint alleges.
Colon has been charged with arson and criminal mischief.
The defendant has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been released on his own recognizance. He is due to appear in Criminal Court in St. George on Feb. 3, according to public records.
An attorney for the defendant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.