Police say fire in vehicle appears to be case of arson

Joplin residents lend a hand in Moore

Joplin is paying it forward. The day before the two-year anniversary of an EF-5 tornado leveling one-third of Joplin, pastors from Ignite Church in Joplin were in Moore, where an EF-5 spent 40 minutes on the ground on Monday.

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January 10, 2013

Police say fire in vehicle appears to be case of arson

Globe Staff Writer The Joplin Globe Thu Jan 10, 2013, 12:29 AM CST

Joplin police are investigating a vehicle fire Tuesday night in the parking lot of Watered Gardens at 531 S. Kentucky Ave. as a suspected case of arson.

Firefighters were called to the shelter and ministry for the homeless at 8 p.m., but the fire had been extinguished by the time they arrived.

Police Cpl. Chuck Niess said the fire caused extensive damage to the interior of a vehicle owned by Craig Leimbach, of Joplin. He said whoever set the fire also may have knocked over a motorcycle belonging to another man.

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