Two small arson incidents reported in Cape

Cape Girardeau police responded Tuesday to reports of arson and attempted arson, according to spokesman Sgt. Rick Schmidt. The first report occurred at 7:34 p.m. at 3814 Eagle Ridge Drive. Passersby saw flames coming from a shrub next to the house. Police think gasoline was used to start the fire, which melted siding on the structure. The fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived. Witnesses described a person seen waling in the area to police. But when interviewed by police, the man did not have a smell of gasoline on him and was not taken into custody, Schmidt said. The second arson-related incident occurred at 11:48 p.m., when a resident at 1911 Good Hope Street heard something strike his house. When the resident investigated, he found a plastic soda bottle containing a liquid and a red tube coming out of the top, Schmidt said. Police say the bottle -- fashioned into a Molotav cocktail -- contained an accelerant. There was no damage to the home. Investigations continue into the incidents, Schmidt said.