Man Set Car On Fire, Caught and Charged with Arson, LIVINGSTON, January 8, 2019 - On December 28, 2018 at approximately 4:00 p.m. the Livingston Police Department responded to the Walmart parking lot in regards to a vehicle that had been set on fire. When officers arrived, the fire had been quickly extinguished by a Walmart employee and the suspect had fled the scene. According to witnesses, they observed a light skinned white or possibly Hispanic slender male in a older model white four door vehicle stop and approach the unoccupied vehicle. The witness stated the suspect had a white bag in his hand and he began squirting a liquid substance on the tire of the vehicle. According to the witness the suspect laid the bag on the ground and then squirted the liquid substance on the bag and set it and the tire on fire along with the bottle of the substance. The liquid source used by the suspect was later recovered at the scene and was identified as lighter fluid. Investigators found that the suspect purchased the lighter fluid at another local supermarket the day before and was captured on security video making the purchase and driving the same older model white four door vehicle. During the investigation, the suspect was positively identified as Erik Ulisses Rauda, 27, of Coldspring. The vehicle Rauda was operating was located and matched the description of the vehicle driven away from the scene and when the lighter fluid was purchased. The Livingston Police Department charged Erik Ulisses Rauda with the offense of Arson which is a second degree felony and his bond amount was set at $5000. Rauda has since been released from jail.
Stop having to buy new tires every six months! FIX IT ONCE AND FOR ALL!
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