Alejandro Pineda, 36, of Holly St., New Bedford, was charged Monday with burning a motor vehicle outside his home.
New Bedford police received a call at about 1:52 p.m. about a vehicle with flames and heavy smoke coming from the hood of a vehicle parked near 11 Holly Street. The New Bedford Fire Department extinguished the fire.
The vehicle’s owner said he had parked the vehicle and gone into the home. When he returned to the vehicle, smoke was coming from under the hood.
Police viewed surveillance videos of the area and saw the suspect with a blue container in his hand. Police saw the suspect place something under the hood and pour something from the container into the engine. The video also indicated that a flame emerging from under the engine compartment. A family member showed the container to police, which smelled of gasoline. The vehicle was towed from the scene.