A Brookfield man has been charged with arson for twice trying to set a Masury man’s truck on fire on July 3, Brookfield police said.
Jeffrey E. Perritt, 59, of 893 Valley View Drive, was arraigned July 7 by video from Trumbull County Jail. He did not enter a plea to the felony charge.
Perritt threw a Molotov cocktail under the truck as it was parked in a garage at Warren Sharon Road and Syme Street, police said. The flame on the wick of the plastic bottle presumed to be full of a flammable liquid went out, police said.
Perritt returned a few minutes later, retrieved the bottle, relit it, and threw it back under the truck, police said.
A fire reached about three feet tall, touching the rocker panel of the truck, but died down before catching the truck on fire, police said.
A neighbor spotted the fire, kicked the bottle out from under the truck and notified the truck’s owner, police said.
The victim, who notified police July 4, had video surveillance equipment and police said they were able to use the footage to identify Perritt, the license plate of Perritt’s SUV, and the clothing he wore.
Police said they went to Perritt’s home, identified Perritt’s vehicle, and located Perritt, who was still wearing the clothing seen in the video, police said.
Perritt declined to be interviewed by police, police said.
Police said they could not determine a direct connection between Perritt, the victim or the members of the victim’s family that would provide a motive.
