NEWARK — The image of a woman considered a person of interest in a recent arson fire, as well as an attempted one — both of which occurred during holiday weekends — circulated on social media Sunday after police released video images of her.
Newark Police posted four pictures of the woman on the department’s Facebook page last week and said they want to speak to her in connection with incidents at the Safari Kid preschool centers in Newark and Union City. The video images are from the incident in Union City, police said.
The most recent happened on May 26, around 1:30 p.m., police said. Officers in Newark were dispatched to the Safari Kid preschool center in the 34800 block of Newark Boulevard to assist Alameda County Fire crews with a fire investigation. The blaze caused major damage to the preschool, police said, and fire investigators gathered evidence at the scene that determined it was set intentionally.
Police also want to talk to the woman about an incident on Nov. 27, 2017, the Monday after the Thanksgiving weekend. According to police, the woman in the image brought a Molotov cocktail to the Safari Kid center in the 32600 block of Alvarado Boulevard in Union City.
The woman tried to light the Molotov cocktail, but couldn’t ignite the wick, police said. Instead, she removed the wick and smashed the glass door to the school with the bottle, police said.
The woman left behind the bottle after throwing it through the window, police said.
Nothing ever ignited in the first incident, police said.
Police urge anyone who recognizes the woman to contact Det. Matt Warren at 510-578-4960 or Matt.Warren@newark.org