FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Fayetteville police on Wednesday (Aug. 27) said they are seeking a suspect in two separate fires that destroyed two trucks and a car near the University of Arkansas campus earlier in the week.
One of the trucks, a Chevrolet Avalanche, belonged to Razorback quarterback Brandon Allen. A neighbor of his, Maddy Bird, told 5NEWS the incident was "kind of scary."
"I hope they catch who it is,” she said.
Before daybreak on Monday (Aug. 25), Allen's truck was burned in a suspected case of arson on Hendrix Street. Earlier the same morning, a different Chevy Avalanche was torched nearby on Douglas Street, also destroying a Toyota Prius parked beside the truck.
Fayetteville police said they have interviewed the owner of the truck destroyed on Douglas Street, Eli Mattioli.
Police say they plan to interview Allen when he returns from Alabama next week, following the Razorbacks' road game on Saturday against Auburn.
The quarterback's neighbors told 5NEWS they don’t believe their safety is in question.
“They seemed personal attacks,” Bird said.
Matiolli's neighbors said the fires seem targeted at the two victims, who attended Fayetteville High together several years ago.
“I feel like the person who did it, they know both people whose cars were set on fire,” neighbor Sarah Cook said.
According to police, locating a suspect is difficult in these situations, since most of the evidence was burned with the cars.
However, the Fayetteville police said they are scanning local business surveillance tapes in hope that they will help find the suspect.