A man was so worried thieves would steal his car that he decided the only course of action was to make it go up in flames.
WXIN reports 26-year-old Austin Bristoe allegedly told police he didn’t want thieves taking his car — or the items inside of it — and that’s why he set fire to his 1998 Buick on February 12. The Bloomingdale, Indiana, man was standing next to the flaming scene when police approached him.
The car was fully engulfed as police led him away; it even let off a few tiny explosions. The man allegedly said in reaction to the booms, “I hoped the explosions would be bigger.”
It was later determined he tossed a lit bandana into the trunk of his car after cutting the fuel line, and dumping gas and oil on the vehicle.
The police report noted, “Austin then stated that if there was nothing left of the vehicle then there would be nothing left to steal.”
He was arrested and initially charged with arson, but then police discovered he was in possession of drugs, syringes and needles. So, they also charged him with unlawful possession.