Caught on cam: Person torches a car after unsuccessfully trying to steal it in Center City

Police are investigating after a suspect tried to steal an out-of-state couple’s car and when that failed, set it on fire in Center City early Saturday morning.

At 11:08 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to the 2200 block of Spruce Street for a car fire, police said. The fire department and the fire marshal also responded to the scene.

The fire was ruled arson by the PFD Fire Marshal, according to the police.

“My parents are New Yorkers and they’re used to crazy things. But this is so far beyond what you would expect to happen,” Margaux Rogers, the daughter of the couple whose car was set on fire, said.

A neighbor’s surveillance system caught the culprit in the act. In the video you can see the culprit walk up to the 2020 Honda CR-V and somehow manage to get inside the car.

Léelo en español aquí

The person spends several minutes in the driver’s seat but seems to not be able to get the car to start. He then gets out, starts lighting matches and tosses them into the car.

“We were almost just speechless, like so in shock that this happened, especially on this corner,” Rogers said.

Rogers’ parents, who were visiting from New York, discovered their car the next morning.

“I just feel awful for my parents. They had come down to help us with our new apartment and they had a great time and then they walked to their car about to get back in and drive to New York and it was melted. It’s just so crazy!” Rogers said.

She said the stench from the fire was so bad it caught the attention of people walking by.

“The whole passenger seat was melted; all of the windows were blacked out with soot. The ceiling had started to melt a little bit, like all the fabric on it,” she said.

She also has a message for whoever torched her parent’s car after trying to steal it.

“Good luck. You didn’t do a great job. We did catch you on camera,” she said.