True Story

At about 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, a 23-year-old transient was caught for siphoning gas after he inadvertently caught his whole operation on fire. While using a bucket and a hose to remove the gas from a large utility truck parked at the Valley Cafe on Avon-Allen Road, the man checked how much he had stolen by using his lighter to help him see. The fumes from the gas ignited and a loud explosion followed, causing the suspect to run away. Fire and law enforcement officers arrived to find the truck and two vehicles parked near it engulfed in flames. They found the suspect a short distance away and identified him by the singed hair on his legs. He was booked into Skagit County Jail for investigation of arson in the second degree.