Lincoln Police have arrested a 59-year-old Lincoln man in connection with an early morning vehicle fire that investigators say was intentionally set. Police and Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews were called to an alley near North 30th and Q streets around 3:45 a.m. for a vehicle fire. A fire investigator determined the fire was arson.
Public Information Manager Erika Thomas says a 2015 Jeep Renegade was set on fire, and damage is estimated at $15,000 in damage. The flames also spread to a GMC Acadia and a Nissan Rogue, bringing total damage to more than $27,000.
“As officers were responding to the area, they saw a vehicle with no rear lights on driving in a circle near the fire,” Thomas says. “Officers conducted a traffic stop and smelled gasoline on the driver and noticed residue on his clothing.”
Thomas says 59-year-old Logan Johnson of Lincoln was detained and taken back to the scene by officers. After reviewing security video from a nearby home, police arrested Johnson. He was booked into the Lancaster County Jail on a charge of first-degree arson.
(Photo: Lancaster County Dep. of Corrections)