3 cars burned in Rogers Park, cops eye links to Albany Park vehicle fire

CHICAGO — An arsonist set three cars on fire in Rogers Park on Wednesday evening. Now, Chicago police are trying to determine if the crimes are related to another vehicle that was intentionally burned earlier in the day in Albany Park.

Police officers and the Chicago Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire in the 1300 block of West Chase around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, a CPD spokesperson confirmed. When first responders arrived, they found two other cars were also burning.

A Nissan Rogue, a Kia Niro, and a Chevrolet Aveo were all damaged in the area of Chase and Sheridan, Chicago police said.

On Thursday morning, the Rogue was still parked on the street with a hole burned through its hood, its back window busted out, and a handwritten note taped to the rear passenger window.

“Someone set my car on fire… 😠” the note read. “Geico Insurance inspector scheduled… Waiting for them to contact me so I can tow! SORRY!”

A Nissan Rogue sits in the 1300 block of West Chase on May 4, 2023. It was one of three vehicles that burned near the intersection the night before. | CWBChicago

A CWBChicago reporter who went to the scene saw a freshly-burned sofa and cabinet at the mouth of an alley next to the Jarvis Red Line station. Dispatch records show that fire was reported just before 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

Also under investigation is an intentionally-set car fire in the 4500 block of North Avers.

In that case, a man was seen setting fire to a Mazda3 parked near Haugan Elementary School around 1:14 a.m. Wednesday, a police spokesperson said. 

The fire spread to a Honda that was parked nearby, police said, but no injuries were reported.

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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com