Buckeye Police search for suspects in driveway arson caught on camera
BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Buckeye Police need the public's help to solve an arson case caught on camera near Apache and Broadway roads.
The case is two months old and comes with security video showing two suspects, but still no arrests have been made. That is why Buckeye Police need help from the community.
The backstory:
An explosion and fire were captured on home security video in a Buckeye driveway on the night of Aug. 19. The blaze burned up two trucks, a car, and parts of the house. The video shows loud banging following the explosion as a good Samaritan knocked on the front door.
"I was like, ‘What’s on fire? What are you talking about?’" victim Athena Medina said.
Buckeye Police released a second surveillance video showing what looks like two young men out in the street after breaking a car window. Medina has seen the video dozens of times and thinks she hears a man's voice speaking Spanish off camera, but she has no idea who they are or why they did it.
What they're saying:
"It’s terrifying because they set kids up to do something dangerous that could’ve killed people, like … my kids sleep right here," Medina said. "My son sleeps in this room. The glass blew out, and it was on his bed."
The fire damage is still clear on the front of the house and on the top of the driveway. The Buckeye Fire Department quickly ruled the fire an arson, and Buckeye Police took over the case. However, authorities admit they have run out of leads and need the public's help.
"The footage is blurry and somewhat grainy," Carissa Planalp of the Buckeye Police Department said. "It’s hard to tell exactly what we’re looking at there, so we’re hoping somebody recognizes the way these individuals are moving what they’re wearing."
Surveillance footage captures two suspects involved in an Aug. 19 arson that destroyed three vehicles in Buckeye.
For Medina and her family, the two-month-old crime seems like it happened just yesterday. They are still dealing with the damage to the house and their hearts.
"They are scared," Medina said. "My kids should not be scared to be in their own home. We should not be scared to be in our own home. It’s not fair."
What you can do:
Buckeye Police are working with Silent Witness on this case. Anyone who can help is asked to call 480-WITNESS.
The family also has a GoFundMe page to help repair the home and the three cars that were burned.
Map of the area where the incident happened
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Athena Medina, victim; Carissa Planalp, representative with the Buckeye Police Department; the Buckeye Fire Department; and Silent Witness.