Earlier this morning, some car owners in Queens awoke to find their vehicles up in flames. WCBS 2 reports, "Some were in the street, some were in driveways and at least one of the fires spread to an owner’s home." Plus, a dozen cars were keyed. One owner of a newly crisped auto said, "At first i didn’t know why my truck went on fire, then I found out that three other cars, three other vehicles on the block were also set on fire." Another resident said, "We don’t know why, unless they were kids that were drinking, we have no idea what could’ve happened. No idea." Last week, two teens were accused of vandalizing 100 cars on Long Island. more ›

We don't care what anyone says about 17-year-old Robert Abreu of Long Island—this kid's got true grit. Sure, the argument could be made that Abreu was too drunk to drive at 5 a.m. last Sunday, and that even if he had been sober, driving on four flat tires was not going to get him very far. But Abreu is obviously possessed of that same pioneering spirit that opened up the western territories and... built the grand Coliseum in Nassau. There's just one thing he didn't anticipate: his car catching on fire from the sparks flying up from the rims grinding on the pavement. more ›

Part of Times Square is closed earlier tonight due a Nissan Pathfinder, parked on West 45th Street near 7th Avenue, that was apparently smoking. WCBS 2 reports, "As a precaution, the bomb squad was brought to the scene and was using a robot to inspect the package. Sources say the robot got up close to the package but that its inspection was inconclusive. Bomb squad personnel then suited up and went in." However, witnesses tell WABC 7 they heard an explosion and saw smoke between 6 and 6:30 p.m., "It was a boom and a puff of smoke," while a firefighter said, "The SUV was smoking. There was a flash and we put two and two together" which then led to an evacuation. more ›

Firefighters recovered the remains of two men from a burning van in Sunset Park last night. The victims — whose names have not yet been released — were apparently homeless and lived in the van, which had been parked near the Gowanus Expressway at the corner of 45th Street and Third Avenue for two years, according to neighbors. Investigators told the Times it's possible that the men, who were pronounced dead at the scene, had set a fire to keep warm. Last winter, a homeless man was found burnt to death in Owls Head Park, just 20 blocks away from yesterday's Sunset Park blaze. In that instance, police surmised that the victim had surrounded himself with candles to keep warm. more ›

Just as the NY Times published a story about four car fires near Central Park, the police have arrested a man who might be involved in them. WABC 7 reports, "Police say the man was caught near a car, at the intersection of West 83rd Street and Central Park West, just after 3 a.m. this morning. The suspect was reportedly in possession of a flammable liquid at the time of the arrest, and it appeared he was about to set a car on fire." The Times articled mentions, "Several rambling notes were left at the scenes of two of the fires; among their topics were references to being 'sexually disrespected' and complaints about the courts... and more than one used the phrase 'mind control.'" The fires have taken place on February 4 at CPW and 91st, February 11 at 87th and Broadway, February 12 at CPW and 83rd, and yesterday at CPW and 105th. more ›

Reader Anthony just sent in this image from Cookshop, on the corner of 10th Avenue and 20th Street, saying that "diners with plates in hand abandoned their al fresco dining as thick black choking smoke headed towards the Cookshop." No word yet on whether they returned to settle their bills. more ›

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Saturday night, after putting out a car fire near the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, firefighters found two bodies in the trunk. The ME's office says they were victims of "homicidal violence, including blunt-force trauma of the head," before being burned. more ›