CHICAGO — According to chicago.cbslocal.com, Buddy Bear Car Wash was the victim of an arson attack after recently having had renovations done.
Owner Tyrone Pride said, “Just to wake up at four o’clock in the morning and see the building on fire, that was pretty shocking. I thought maybe I was dreaming,”
Early on July 28th, surveillance video caught a hooded figure pouring what appeared to be gasoline along a garage door, and then there was a small explosion, the article continued.
“The fire melted the Plexiglass that was there,” Pride said. “Then they set our exit door on fire.”
According to police, three male suspects in total lit a car as well as both the exit and entrance doors to the carwash under the cover of darkness, the article noted.
“I don’t believe anyone was trying to burglarize because they just set a fire and ran off,” Pride said.
Firefighters were able to get the fire under control, and no one was injured, but the damage was still costly, the article stated.
“Damage is probably $20,000,” Pride said. “I’m very dumbfounded as to why. We serve the community. We don’t have any enemies that we know of. We don’t have a clue.”
Alderman Geroge Cardenas of the 12th Ward said he fears arson is becoming a trend, adding, “We had instances in McKinley Park where people tried to also ignite a fire. It means that people feel like they can do this and get away with it.”
At the time of reporting, police were still searching for the three suspects who fled northbound on Western Ave., the article concluded.
Read the original article here.