Residents of a North Shore neighborhood were woken early Saturday at 3:30 a.m. by the sounds of explosions, only to find a car engulfed in flames.
It’s just one of three of arson cases police are investigating, the latest in a string of crimes that has the residents of Iliohu Place ready to fight back.
“It was frightening,” said resident Brian Bowman. “I have a six-week-old, the house was full of smoke, and it’s just unnerving. It’s a perpetual crime happening on our street.”
Even though none of the people we spoke with saw how it started, almost everyone was awake to see the car on fire.
Bowman said his truck was stolen two months ago and that cars being vandalized is becoming a regular occurrence. “It just seems like it’s one thing after another on the street,” he said. “It’s getting frustrating.”
And this trend of arson on the North Shore extends as far as Kaiaka Bay Beach Park where arsonists tried to burn down a portable toilet overnight on Thursday.
Honolulu police say they will be stepping up patrols in the area.
As for residents on Iliohu Place, they say something more needs to be done to keep their neighborhood safe.
“I think every house on the block has agreed to put cameras up,” Bowman said, “so at this point, it’s just putting together a community watch, staying up at night and seeing what happens.”
Police will investigate what caused the arson, but no arrests have been made.
