Tulsa Boys And Girls Club Officials Wants Car Dumping To Stop

By Lacie Lowry, The News On 6

TULSA, OKLAHOMA -- A Boys and Girls Club in Tulsa is now the scene of an arson investigation. Someone set two vehicles on fire in the parking lot of the facility early Thursday morning.

The News On 6 learned that the after school center has had it happen before.

The West Mabee Boys and Girls Club is a Salvation Army facility, and the director of the center wants this latest "trend" to stop.

Two cars that were dumped at the center two weeks ago were set on fire in a bizarre vehicle arson.

"The toxic fumes coming off of there are absolutely horrible," said Public Information Officer Bill French with the Tulsa Fire Department.

Jamar Giddings runs the Boys and Girls Club on South Olympia.

"We don't know who they belong to," said Jamar Biddings, of the two abandoned vehicles.

Giddings has been trying to track down the owners, but the vehicles suddenly went up in flames early Thursday morning.

A security guard in the area heard a popping sound and thought it was gunfire. It was actually the cars melting.

"Anytime you find one that is set underneath a car that's parked or inside a car, its typically going to be some kind of arson," French said.

This arson case isn't the first time a vehicle was torched in the same parking lot. Earlier this year someone ditched another vehicle here, and within one week, it was also set on fire.

"It's kinda like, 'Wow, again?'" Giddings said.

Giddings says none of the three cars were reported stolen and no one has come forward to claim them since the fires.

The center doesn't have to pay for the cleanup, but Giddings says it's just annoying.

"Unfortunate, for someone that they got burned up," said Jamar Giddings, Boys and Girls Club Director. "Just stop dumping cars here," he joked.

"If you're trying to get rid of your vehicle, the Salvation Army has a car donation program that helps the less fortunate."

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In an unrelated case, Tulsa firefighters also fought a vehicle fire in the 5400 block of North Utica on Thursday.

Firefighters received a call around 2 a.m. about a house and two vehicles on fire. Firefighters say the fire started in the vehicles and then spread to the house.

Fire officials say they have a suspect in mind, but have not released a name.

The home was occupied but no one was hurt.

If you know anything about the vehicle fires, call Tulsa's Arson Hotline at 596-ARSN.