Police: Man tried to torch car with driver inside

SEATTLE -- Police are looking for the man who tried to torch a car while the driver sat inside.

Police say the bizarre crime took place at about 3:45 p.m. in the University District. The victim said he walked out to his car, which was parked in the alley behind his home near NE 47th Street and 15th Avenue.

When he got inside, he said a man casually walked behind the car, pulled out a can of lighter fluid and began spraying it inside the car.

The man then lit a match and tossed it into the car. Luckily, the lighter fluid didn't ignite.

The victim got out of the car and confronted the man, who "mumbled something about a barbecue and walked away," according to police.

Officers searched the area but couldn't find the would-be pyromaniac.

The man is described as being white and anywhere from 30 to 40 years old. He stands 6-feet tall and weighs roughly 180 pounds. The victim said he had dark hair and was clean shaven. He was wearing a yellow button-up shirt, khaki shorts and a black baseball cap. He was also carrying a backpack, according to police.

If you have any information about the suspect, please contact SPD's Arson/Bomb Squad at 206-684-8980.