Inspector determines Cape Coral car fires intentional

Two cars found burning in a Cape Coral driveway early Monday morning were judged by an inspector to be the result of arson.

The Cape Coral Fire Department responded to reports of a vehicle fire in the 600 block of SE 13th Ct. at 2:45 a.m. Firefighters quickly extinguished the two cars they found on fire and there were no injuries. The CCFD inspector determined the fires had been set intentionally, and CCPD and the state fire marshal will be investigating.

Charlisa Shields Broomfield is the owner of one of the cars and when she looks at the melted metal and burned glass she’s got one burning question, “to me at first I was like who did it? Who did it?” And why, “my kids ask me mommy daddy why? We don’t know. We don’t know what to tell them we haven’t done anything to anyone.”

Shields Broomfield told WINK News the fire investigator found evidence the arsonist doused the cars in gasoline.

The family of six was sleeping inside when neighbors saw the flames and knocked on the door.

What doesn’t make sense to Shields Broomfield is why the person with the gas didn’t set her brand new car on fire. It was parked in the driveway right next to the other two cars. “To not mess with the newest thing here? To really really hurt me. I mean I was getting ready to sell this vehicle for two grand to someone who I know really needs a vehicle who literally walks where they have to go.”

But what upsets her the most is that her kid’s bedroom was right next to the burning cars. “It could’ve gone further than that and at those hours everyone is sleeping! Everybody is sleeping so what if we didn’t get up?”

The owner said she’s grateful her family is okay tonight. She says the cars, they can be replaced.