Case of “Suspicious Vehicle Fires” Leads to Arrest in Westchester County

Last week ended up being an exceptionally active week for members of the New Rochelle Police Department as multiple calls pulled officers into all directions of the city. One call in particular that stood out being arguably stranger than the rest, was that of not one but two vehicles that were set on fire at a location in the city.

Car Fires in New Rochelle

According to the press release issued by the New Rochelle Police Department, the incident took place during the evening hours of Wednesday, March 19, 2025. At approximately 7:15pm, multiple calls were made to New Rochelle police for the two vehicles on fire behind CVS Pharmacy located on Lawton Street.

When officers arrived on the scene, the two vehicles were completely engulfed by the flames. This required an immediate response from the New Rochelle Police department. Fire Fighters were able to extinguish the blaze on both cars and quickly deduced that the fires were "suspicious in nature".

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With the fires extinguished, Investigators on scene began piecing together the scene and in their work discovered that one of the vehicles, a dark-colored BMW SUV was registered to a Mark Turner. Investigators also determined that the fire originated from the BMW registered to Turner and then it spread to the SUV next to it.

Witness Reports and Apprehension of the Suspect

Investigators were also able to speak with witnesses at the scene of the incident. Witnesses stated that they saw a male suspect, dressed in all black clothing, near the scene before the fire. In addition, that same individual was spotted making made multiple trips between the same BMW and a near by trash can and then left the area as the fire erupted.

With the information gathered, officers began canvasing the area looking for the suspect witnesses identified. A short time later, officers found the described individual who was confirmed to be the same Mark Turner, a 55-year old resident of New Rochelle.

The press release goes on to state that when officers questioned Turner, he admitted to being the driver of the same BMW. Turner was then taken into police custody without further incident.

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Turner was charged with the felony crimes of 3rd Degree Arson as well as Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. The case itself is still under investigation at this time. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the New Rochelle Police Department at (914) 654-2300.