Grad Student Suspected in 4 Dealership Fires

William Cottrell's father says his 23-year-old son is bright and eccentric but not an eco-terrorist who torched vehicles at California dealerships. The FBI arrested the young man in connection with arsons and vandalism of 125 SUVs at four dealerships, causing about $2.5 million in damages in August. He's a physics graduate student at California Institute of Technology. The FBI says he used an alias

Steve Finlay, Contributing Editor

April 1, 2004

1 Min Read
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William Cottrell's father says his 23-year-old son is bright and eccentric but not an eco-terrorist who torched vehicles at California dealerships.

The FBI arrested the young man in connection with arsons and vandalism of 125 SUVs at four dealerships, causing about $2.5 million in damages in August.

He's a physics graduate student at California Institute of Technology. The FBI says he used an alias in boastful e-mails, saying the FBI was clueless and claiming membership in the Earth Liberation Front, a radical group that thinks starting arson fires stops pollution.

Authorities traced the e-mails to Cottrell and Caltech, where six computers were seized. A Caltech spokesman says the school is dismayed.

Cottrell is held without bond. “We are still reasonably sure he wasn't a primary agent in this deed,” says his father, a doctor in Concord, NC.

About the Author

Steve Finlay

Contributing Editor

Steve Finlay is a former longtime editor for WardsAuto. He writes about a range of topics including automotive dealers and issues that impact their business.

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