Sheriff deputies are investigating a suspicious vehicle fire in Joshua Tree early Monday morning. At 2:53 a.m. Monday, Joshua Tree firefighters were called to a fire on Onaga Road in the open desert area of Section 6, where they found a Toyota 4-Runner fully engulfed in flames. The vehicle’s identification number had been filed off and the license plates removed. Investigators were able to determine who the 4-Runner’s owner was, and when he was contacted, the owner denied any knowledge of how his truck ended up on fire in the desert, claiming he had been too drunk to drive home from a party and a friend had driven him home. Some evidence was recovered at the scene. Anyone with information should call the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175.
