PD: Cars set on fire throughout Chandler, Mesa

CHANDLER, AZ - Police are investigating Thursday after series of car fires were set on fire in the East Valley overnight.

The fires all happened within about 45 minutes of each other stretching from south Chandler to Mesa.

Officers responded to a car fire just before 2 a.m. near Chandler Heights and Lindsay Road where they found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames.

Sgt. Joe Favazzo said that a little more than 15 minutes later officers received another call of a car fire in north Chandler, near Arizona Avenue and Elliot Road.

When officers arrived they found that a fourth vehicle was on fire a few blocks east in the area of 500 West Summit.

Just after 2:30 a.m. a third call was made of a vehicle fire about a mile away.

In Mesa, two cars were set on fire near 10th Street and Alma School Road around 2:45 a.m.

"It is like a war zone you see on TV.," said Harold Marx of Mesa.  His girlfriend's car was destroyed outside his home.  "It is no joke.  She lives in Payson and was supposed to go back today."

No suspects were found and it was unknown how the fires were started.

Favazzo said it appeared the suspects also tried to set several more vehicles on fire. No one was injured.

Favazzo said the vehicles were taken to the department's property lot to be processed for evidence.

In a couple incidents, the cars were parked in well lit areas under street lights.  There is no pattern in the type of car that was targeted or anything tying the victims in common.

Insurance experts tell ABC15 that if your home or car is vandalized in anyway you do need to report it and make sure to put on the record that you are pressing charges.  If you have full coverage insurance that helps the insurance company move forward with recouping your losses.

If you have liability insurance only, you may have to wait until an arrest is made and pursue legal action to recoup your losses.