A Philadelphia man is accused of setting fire to his girlfriend’s SUV after allegedly sending her threatening messages including one warning her to keep an eye on the vehicle.
On June 11, Bristol Township police responded to a report of a vehicle fire in a driveway in the 300 block of Logan Circle that damaged the vehicle and a home, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A subsequent investigation determined the fire was intentionally set. The damage to the vehicle and home was estimated at $15,525, the affidavit said.
The home’s resident told police that her longtime boyfriend, Ganel Lugo, 68, of Philadelphia, who is also the registered owner of the Suburban, had sent her threatening text messages earlier including one that said, “I’m going
to burn it down to the ground.”
The victim alleged that she and Lugo had been arguing over the vehicle for months and that he previously intentionally slashed its tires and smashed the windows.
Police interviewed neighbors who observed the couple arguing in the home’s driveway around 9:30 p.m. and Lugo’s red Jeep leaving the area after the fire started shortly before midnight, the affidavit said.
A check of license plate readers in the area put Lugo’s Jeep in the area around the time of the fire, the affidavit said.
The victim also alleged that Lugo gave her $7,000 cash after the incident to purchase a new truck.
Lugo was arraigned Oct. 7 before District Judge David Chichilitti on three felony arson-related charges and related misdemeanors. He is free after posting $200,000 bail.
His attorney, John Fiorvanti Jr., did not immediately respond to an Oct. 13 email seeking comment.
Crime and Courts Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Man set fire to his girlfriend's SUV in Bristol Township, police say
