Los Santos Insider | The Cipher Arsonist Returns, But Who Are They?

[Degu]

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The Cipher Arsonist Returns, But Who Are They?

Written By Gabriel Stone, 25/06/2023

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In the early hours of the 13th of June, San Fire, LSFD and LSPD attended a vehicular fire at the Strawberry overpass, an area where many of the homeless community shelter and live. With the recent influx of vehicular arsons, it appeared unremarkable until one looked closer. While San Fire refused to comment on the methods of fire setting used, the Caesar Cipher code sprayed on the wall behind the vehicle indicated that this was more than your average burnt out car.

 

Left: The first incident at Tower Way Utility Station. Right: The second incident, The Tool Stop fire. 

 

So what is Caesar Cipher? Well it's a substitution code in which letters are replaced by another letter some fixed number of positions down in the alphabet. This code is thought to be the work of the same arsonist as the structure fire on El Rancho Boulevard in Cypress Flats on the 8th of March as well as a previous fire on the 27th of February at the Tower Way Utility Station in roughly the same area.

 

The El Rancho Boulevard fire was set inside a business called 'The Tool Stop', a hardware store. While the Tower Way fire didn't result in any injuries, this one did. The roof collapsed whilst firefighters were seen using a ladder to access the roof, a firefighter who had been entering the building at the time was injured, and one other was injured and trapped inside the building. Both firefighters survived and were taken for treatment.

 

Above: Caesar Cipher Code from under the Strawberry Overpass reading 'IMSTILLOUTTHERE'.

 

San Fire have not commented on any of these arsons due to them being part of an ongoing investigation, however I was able to photograph Caesar Cipher on both of the original sites in the form of graffiti. The last contact with the arsonist had been in the comments of a Los Santos Insider article in which they named themselves 'The Cipher'. The case appeared to go cold after that, or at least no new fires with Cipher Code emerged, not until now. The message at the Strawberry fire was decoded to read 'I'M STILL OUT THERE', though the fire was in no means the scale or complexity of their usual blazes, leaving some questions.

 

Above: Code found at the El Rancho Boulevard site, reading: 'ITSFANTASTIC' 

 

With no further information regarding investigations, it's impossible to report upon the methods used by the arsonist or their motivations. Los Santos Insider will endeavour to bring updates when new information comes to light. For more information see: Arsonist Strikes Cypress Flats Hardware Store, Injures Two Firefighters

 

ZULWHWRPH - ZKRRSKEUAXYZUXE

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Edited June 25, 2023 by Degu