Juvenile sets fire to Carson City Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle

One suspect’s escape plan went up in smoke on Friday.

A 14-year-old male set a Carson City Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle on fire Friday afternoon. Deputies were investigating a string of residential and vehicle burglaries that had occurred around the area of Crain and 5th streets Thursday night when they identified a 14-year-old male and an 18-year old male as possible suspects. Deputies spoke with the men around 2:30 p.m. and determined they were the suspects they were searching for.

When deputies attempted to detain one of them, he was combative and fought deputies when they tried to put him into the patrol vehicle. He was then transported to his mother’s residence near the 900 block of Terrace Street and while deputies were talking with his mother he took a book of matches from his pocket and started a fire in the back of the patrol vehicle.

Sheriff Ken Furlong said the deputies were unable to pat down the suspect prior to detaining him in the vehicle because he was so combative. He said the boy slipped his handcuffs from under him, took the matches from his pocket and set the plastic prisoner separator on fire.

Deputies were able to pull the juvenile out of the vehicle, and fire crews were able to put out the fire. The vehicle sustained minor damage, the plastic was melted and dripped onto the floor, and the cabin had smoke residue. Neither the deputies or the suspect were injured.

Furlong said it took himself and several of the deputies to completely detain the boy, as he started to fight deputies once he was out of the vehicle again.

The boy was taken to Juvenile Detention to await charges. The other suspect, the 18-year-old, was taken to the Carson Jail.

The investigation into the burglaries is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office.