Town Topics
18 July, 1984

Arson Suspected

At Shopping Center. The Princeton Fire Department and Township Police responded July 10 to a fire of suspicious origin in a car parked at the Princeton Shopping Center near the Dairy Queen.

Township Captain Jack Petrone said that the fire appeared to begin in some newspapers found in the passenger compartment. The interior of the car was burned out, several windows cracked from the heat, and the paint peeled.

Suspicions of the police and Fire Department foreman Tom Hagadorn were raised when they learned that the owner of the car, Poashneg T. Chao of West Athens, New York, did not recognize the remains of the newspapers found in the car. The papers were in English and Mr. Chao, who is Chinese, said he cannot read English. Captain Petrone said the fire could be related to another incident in which air was let out of a car’s tires.