Stamford Car Arson Suspect Identified

Stamford Police photos: Car arson suspect Irving Palma; his car.

The Stamford Police Department, in conjuction with the Stamford Fire Marshals Office, has identified and obtained an arrest warrant for the man they believe is responsible for a car arson last week.

Police announced on Saturday that investigators using “several investigative techniques” were able to identify Irving Palma, 18, as the “suspect responsible for lighting” a 2002 Subaru on fire in the early morning of Nov. 8 when it was parked in front of 30 Vassar Ave.

In a security surveillance video posted by Stamford Police on You Tube, a man can be seen parking a car on nearby Young Dixon Way on the city’s West Side. The man is carrying a container as he walked onto Vassar Avenue where a short time later the car erupts into a fireball and the man walks back to his Honda Civic, covering his face as he walked past security cameras.

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Police said investigators obtained an arrest warrant charging Palma with second-degree arson with a $10,000 bond levied upon it. In a statement, police said, “The investigation revealed that Palma was upset with the persons who sold him his current car and planned retribution before fleeing back to his native country of Guatemala.”

Police also said, “On Nov. 8 Palma committed the arson and on Nov. 9 Palma flew to Guatemala and fled the country. We have seized his current car that was used in the course of this crime. The warrant is active and if Palma ever reenters the country he will be apprehended.”

Police credited “a nice collective effort by the Stamford Police Property Crimes Division and the Stamford Fire Marshal’s Office” for solving the crime.

The video of the arson can be seen here.