Tow trucks remove the burnt-out vehicles (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT—Three Gendarmerie vehicles were set on fire early this morning in the center of Marigot, ending up completely destroyed.
The three vehicles, two of them unmarked, were parked in the usual space reserved for Gendarmerie cars on Rue Kennedy in Marigot.
Commandant Stéphan Basso said it was an arson attack and a suspect has already been arrested. The fire was lit at around 6:40am.
“We had to evacuate the building behind as the flames were reaching 10-metres in height and some balconies were charred by the smoke and flames,” he explained. “A 43-year-old man known to the Gendarmerie is in custody and the investigation is in progress to determine the reasons for starting the fire.”
The fire in progress on Rue Kennedy early this morning (photo contributed)
Basso added that the individual, a homeless man, was already condemned in 2015 for setting fire to an apartment and is known to have psychiatric issues. He described the destroyed vehicles as a “big loss” from an operational standpoint.
The Gendarmerie has an inventory of some 40 vehicles.
