MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fire investigators are looking into a suspicious fire that damaged an auto repair shop in Northeast Memphis.
This is the third such fire this year.
The fire started around 12:30 a.m. Monday in the office building at Expert Import Service on Pleasant View Rd.
Firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly, but it did cause damage to the building’s lobby and computers.
Investigators are calling this fire suspicious, since it’s the latest in a series of fires in the same area, all targeting auto repair shops.
WREG obtained incident reports for three fires at Expert Import Service in the past year. Before Monday’s fire, there were incidents in December and July last year. MFD confirms the two previous cases are arson investigations.
MFD said the cause of Monday’s fire is still “undetermined,” though the MPD report said investigators believe someone broke a window and threw something inside to start the fire.
The most recent fire happened on June 1st at Don Johnson’s Auto Repair, which is next door to Expert Imports.
Police say a masked man ran around the parking lot, dousing cars in gasoline and setting them on fire.
He’s also accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at vehicles.
Both auto shops told WREG someone vandalized windows on their properties a couple weeks ago.
They said surveillance video captured someone driving a black Nissan Maxima.
Co-Owner of Expert Import Service Sy Vu told WREG he believes the same vehicle was on the shop’s property before Monday morning’s fire.
“The most frustrating part about it is that it just seems to be like it just happens, then everybody comes, takes a report, and that’s the end of it,” he said.
If you have any information about the fires, call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.