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Suspicious fires

More than 30 vehicles are damaged after four males broke into Bucks Auto Parts on Mission Island. A camera captured four male suspects jumping over a fence at 2:55 a.m. Friday. The four smashed several vehicles and set fire to several others.
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Dan Tocheri, manager of Buck$ Auto Parts, stands next to the remains of one of the vehicles lit on fire on Friday night. (By Jeff Labine, tbnewswatch)
More than 30 vehicles are damaged after four males broke into Bucks Auto Parts on Mission Island.

A camera captured four male suspects jumping over a fence at 2:55 a.m. Friday. The four smashed several vehicles and set fire to several others. Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service responded to a call after 3 a.m.

Dan Tocheri, manager of Bucks Auto Parts, said that he arrived early to work at 8 a.m. to find police and fire crews talking to the security guard. He said all the cars that were damaged would likely be scrapped.

"They really went on a reign of terror here," Tocheri said. "I was quite shocked to see all the damage and the senselessness of the whole thing. To come and just do all this damage…it’s unbelievable to me."

Tocheri said it was a good thing that they normally drain all the gas out of the vehicles. It was too early to tell how much of a loss this will be for Tocheri. On average parts can reach as high as $2,000 or as low as $50.

Bucks Auto Parts is still open.

Tocheri said the four male suspects didn’t have anything in their hands when they broke in. He said he suspects someone tossed a lit piece of paper onto one of the seats, which likely caused the fires. He added that there were four sets of tracks on the ice headed towards CP Rail.

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue were also called to a fire at the CPR Syndicate Avenue rail yard around the same time. Fire crews were able to put out the fire on the CPR vehicle.

Police say an investigation is ongoing.




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