Charlotte man's Corvette was set on fire. He thinks it might have been a hate crime.
A Charlotte man woke up to his car engulfed in flames Wednesday morning, but thanks to home security, the person who started the fire was captured on film.
Seth Headley, 27, was woken up at his west Charlotte home after 5 a.m. by one of his roommates.
When he went outside, his black 1992 Chevrolet Corvette was in flames. A charred, completely destroyed car was all that remained after the blaze.
Headley was suspicious as to why a car would suddenly catch fire, so he checked surveillance footage.
The film revealed a man setting the car on fire, before driving away in a truck. About ten minutes later, he returned and added more flames — this time, toward the back of the Corvette.
Headley, who is gay, is wondering if the incident was a hate crime. He has LGBTQ decals on the Corvette and a gay pride flag on his home. (The man also tried to light that on fire, Headley said.)
"My Corvette has 'gay' all over it," Headley said to the Observer. "It has 'equality' in the back. This car is well known in Charlotte. It's been seen, you know. It has rainbow LEDs under it. I let my pride fly."
Headley posted the video along with images of the destroyed car to his Facebook page Wednesday morning, and it has been viewed more than 22,000 times.
On Thursday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested 21-year-old Jackson Tyler Brooks in connection to the case. Brooks was charged with burning personal property.
Police didn't say if the case was being investigated as a hate crime. Additional details surrounding Brooks' arrest weren't available.
Headley bought the car a year ago because it reminded him of a car his father had when he was younger — only in better condition. It cost $9,900 and had less than 30,000 miles on it, he said.
"It was my car. It was mine to enjoy," he said. "I don't go clubbing. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't do drugs. That was my escape."
This story was originally published April 18, 2018 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Charlotte man's Corvette was set on fire. He thinks it might have been a hate crime.."