Gwinnett Man Charged With Stealing Jeep, Setting It On Fire

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A Gwinnett County man is under arrest for stealing a Jeep from a local convenience store, then setting it on fire.

Ricardo Cole, 20, of Lawrenceville, was arrested by fire investigators at his home on Thursday. He was booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center and charged with one count each of second-degree arson, theft by taking/motor vehicle, possession of tools for the commission of a crime and driving without a license.

He was out on bond Friday afternoon.

On April 6, authorities say, Cole and another man stole a 2005, gold Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Quick Trip located at 2185 Beaver Ruin Rd. The incident happened around 6:40 a.m., after the vehicle's owner left it running in a parking space while he went inside the store.

Video surveillance shows two men loitering outside the store, then driving off in the stolen Jeep.

At 8:43 a.m. that day, Gwinnett County Police responded to a suspicious persons call at Walnut Grove Way and Taylor Road in Suwanee. A witness reported seeing the suspects standing next to the Jeep with a flaming rag stuck in the gas tank.

Officers found the vehicle on fire in the roadway and quickly doused the flames with a portable fire extinguisher. The fire was out by the time firefighters arrived. Fire investigators were requested due to the suspicious nature of the blaze.

Fire officials say the case remains under investigation and that authorities are still seeking the second suspect.

Anyone with information about the second suspect, pictured below, is asked to contact to the Norcross Police Department at 770-448-2111 or the Gwinnett Fire Investigations Section at 678-518-4890.

Georgia Arson Control offers a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for arson.

Tipsters may also contact the Georgia Arson Control Hotline at 1.800.282.5804. All tips may be made anonymously.

Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services