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A lot had happened in 1986. The musical “Phantom of the Opera” debuted in London, while the Oprah Winfrey Show premiered on national TV that same year. And more importantly, a man named Dewey Fredrick bought a Jeep from a car dealership in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
But it was no ordinary Jeep that Fredrick drove home that year. According to court documents, Fredrick accused the dealership of selling him the lemon vehicle, which led to a retaliatory act after nearly four decades, Washington Post report.
O’Daniel Automotive Group is the dealer involved, which posted a photo of a man destroying several cars at its two Indiana locations. According to the affidavit obtained Washington PostFredrick drove a 2002 Chevy S-10 pickup to an O’Daniel used car dealership at around 1:15 am on July 17, 2022.
Fredrick then allegedly opened the Jeep Compass’s fuel tank cover, filled the lit road flare, and set the SUV on fire after a short time, the affidavit said. A 2013 GMC Acadia and 2020 Jeep Cherokee, both parked on either side of the Compass, also caught fire, causing nearly $72,000 worth of damage.
That’s not the end of it. Fredrick drove to an O’Daniel Mazda dealership a mile away and allegedly tried to do the same on a 2008 Pontiac Solstice convertible by cutting the roof. The driver’s seat lit up, adding more than $12,000 to the total damage value, the statement said.
Through security footage, Fredrick is identified and arrested. He confessed to the crime, saying he did it as an act of revenge against a dealer who sold him a Jeep with a faulty engine in 1986. The dealer allegedly “refused to repair it,” according to affidavits obtained.
Fredrick faces up to 48 years in prison on four counts of arson if convicted.
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