Arsonist sets fire to 2 vehicles at Montgomery County shopping center

SILVER SPRING, Md. (DC News Now) – Investigators are looking for the person responsible for setting fire to two vehicles Monday morning.

The fires were set at the Glenmont Center in Silver Spring. It happened right next to Country Boy, which was damaged as a result.

Montgomery Barnsley IV and his family own Country Boy. Early Monday, they got a wake-up call telling them that two vehicles near the store had been set on fire.

“There’s a box truck behind you that was arsoned and a van next to my building that was arsoned,” Barnsley said.

The flames from the van damaged part of the business.

“Because it’s so close to the building,” Barnsley said. “It’s probably one foot away, if that, and there was smoldering and charcoaled. The front porch is all wood, so when that was damaged, they took it all apart with a saw to make sure the roof or anything that was also made out of wood wasn’t burning at all.”

Neither of the damaged vehicles belongs to Barnsley. He does own trucks, however, and said he worries they could become targets—especially because there have been break-ins and attempted break-ins at the store.

“I don’t know the reason behind it,” he said. “I don’t agree with setting anyone’s property on fire or messing with anyone’s property in general.”

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is asking anyone with information that could help investigators to call its tip line or contact the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD).