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Tampa Man Paid To Have Car Torched, Investigators Say

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TBO.com

Published: January 13, 2009

Updated: 01/13/2009 01:31 pm

Michael Peterson

Dermaine Grier

A Tampa man who couldn't afford his car payments paid a man $200 to burn the vehicle, investigators say.

On Monday, investigators arrested Michael L. Peterson, 23, of Tampa, and Dermaine Grier, 28, of Riverview. Each was charged with second-degree arson, and Grier also was charged with grand theft for taking the car's rims and tires.

Tampa Fire Rescue responded to the blaze shortly after 11 p.m. on Nov. 2 and determined that the fire had been set, states a criminal arrest affidavit from Tampa Fire Rescue.

Peterson said he could no longer afford payments on a 2008 Honda Accord and that he paid Greer $200 to steal and dispose of it, according to the affidavit. Peterson owned the car about six months and wanted to get out of the $40,000 he owed on it, according to Tampa Fire Rescue.

According to a news release from Tampa Fire Rescue, Peterson left the car at a construction company where he works and gave the keys to Grier, who also worked at the company. Grier is accused of taking the car to a storage facility, putting the rims and tires from the Honda on his personal car, a 1995 Nissan Maxima, then setting the Honda on fire.

Peterson has since been released from jail on his own recognizance.

Grier's bail was set at $10,000. He has since been released from jail.

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