Three local fast-food restaurants, including one directly across from campus, and a police car were struck with firebombs early Tuesday morning, causing varying degrees of damage but no injuries.
Two McDonald's restaurants, one at the corner of Central Avenue and Yale Boulevard, the other at Central and Tramway Boulevard and the Arby's at Central and Tulane Drive were apparently targeted by the same individuals, said Lt. Lynn Reule, Albuquerque Fire Department spokeswoman.
"We had a fourth one that we think was connected," Reule said, referring to a police cruiser, which was damaged overnight while parked in the 12700 block of Roma Avenue NE.
Reule estimated damage to the cruiser, which had two windows broken out and some fire marks on the door, at about $1,000.
Molotov cocktails and crude makeshift incendiary grenades were used in each of the attacks, Reule said.
She added that officials from the Albuquerque Fire Department Arson Division are investigating all possibilities from "vandalism on up."
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The FBI is monitoring the fire department's investigation to determine if the crimes were committed by radical groups such as the Animal Liberation Front, also called ALF, said Doug Beldon, supervisory special agent at the Albuquerque FBI office.
"From what has been revealed by the fire department's investigation to date, there are some similarities to crimes previously committed by ALF," Beldon said. "But at this point, it would be far too premature to pronounce them suspects."
According to its Web site, the Animal Liberation Front is an organization that consists of small autonomous groups of people from around the world who, among other things, inflict economic damage to those who profit from the misery and exploitation of animals.
Reule said the fire scene is the beginning of the investigation.
The McDonald's at Central Avenue and Yale Boulevard was the first building hit Tuesday, according to the fire department. The Molotov cocktail was thrown at the drive-through window sometime around 3:30 a.m., Reule said.
She added that the fire quickly self-extinguished, causing minor damage to the exterior of the building, including a broken window. The campus-area restaurant was open for business Tuesday.
At around 4 a.m., firefighters responded to an anonymous call reporting a second fire at Arby's. In that instance, the firebomb had crashed through a store window and exploded in the lobby.
"Molotov cocktails are not easy to get going, but when they do, they're very destructive," Reule said. "Arby's proves that."
Reule said that the restaurant's interior sustained about $80,000 in damage, not including loss of business revenue while closed. She added that about 15 employees will be out of work until restoration commences.
Officials from Arby's were not available Tuesday to confirm either damage amounts or a timetable for when the restaurant will reopen.
Employees who were inside the McDonald's at Central Avenue and Tramway Boulevard reported the morning's last firebomb at around 5 a.m., Reule said. The business, which regularly opens at 6 a.m., remained closed until 8 a.m.
She added that the fire was contained to a small area inside the restaurant and that while no one was injured, "workers were terrified."
