Federal authorities are joining North Carolina law enforcement in investigating the vandalism and burning of multiple vehicles, including a semi truck.
On Friday, June 5, the Union County Sheriff’s Office based in Monroe, North Carolina, issued a press release detailing an incident during which parked vehicles were damaged or destroyed on Thursday night:
Union County Sheriff’s deputies and Monroe Police officers, along with Monroe and Mineral Springs firefighters responded to a vehicle fire in the 300 block of Dale Street shortly before 11:00 pm Thursday night. Upon arrival, emergency personnel discovered that three vehicles, including a Lexus sedan, a Ford F350 dually pickup truck hitched to a flatbed trailer and an 18 wheeler had been burned and vandalized. The incident occurred just a short distance outside the Monroe City limits.
Officers observed that “BLM” and “Black Lives Matter” had been spray painted in various places on the exterior of the vehicles as well as on the attached trailers. In addition, officers discovered similar spray paintings on the side of the former Food Lion building nearby.
The Union County Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to the scene and determined that “the vehicles were intentionally burned using bottles filled with flammable liquids, commonly referred to as Molotov cocktails.”
Authorities said that the Lexus and the Ford F350 were destroyed. The semi truck’s damage was minor.
Police said that the vehicles were parked on Dale Street due to residential parking ordinances.
Police do not have any suspects at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Union County Sheriff’s Office, 704-283-3789