HOWELL — According to township police, the owners of 24 vehicles parked at homes in Howell’s Ramtown section, near the Brick Township border, woke up on the morning of June 8 to find that the tires on their cars had been slashed.
Detective Sgt. Steve Dreher said tires on another 24 cars parked at homes across the border in Brick had also been slashed.
Dreher said it appears a knife was used in all 48 incidents that occurred overnight on June 7 into the morning hours of June 8. The officer said there are no suspects at this time.
Also, in the matter of the June 10 fire at The Cabin restaurant, Route 33, police and fire officials have determined the cause of the fire was accidental.
The fire, which has closed the Howell landmark since it occurred at about 3 p.m. June 10, appears to have started in the exhaust vent system in the front grill section of the bar.
According to Howell Fire Chief Robert Hotmar, the fire damage to the structure was minimal, with the extent of the damage to the restaurant being caused by smoke and water.
The restaurant was open for business at the time the fire started and staff and customers were led safely from the building. An employee reported the fire to emergency services personnel.
A sign posted on the side door of the establishment tells patrons The Cabin is "temporarily closed and will reopen soon." The owner could not be reached for comment.

