“This is definitely not a common thing that occurs in our area,” said Nicco Gumino, a detective with the Woodlawn Police Department who is working on the case.
In the surveillance video, the perpetrator is seen walking up to the SUV and throwing rocks at it. The person hurls a rock through the rear window, breaking it.
“He is also seen throwing a type of fluid on the vehicle, a possible [fire] accelerant,” Gumino said. “You can see him lighting something on fire, throwing it into the vehicle, and it just ignited.”
Someone nearby heard the car alarm going off and saw the flames. They quickly called 911, and firefighters came to extinguish the fire.
The arson incident is still under investigation, and police said they are pursuing a few leads. Bannister said she has no idea who targeted her car or why someone would do this to her.
“I’m not a mean person or an evil person, so I don’t have anybody that I would suspect that would do this to me,” said Bannister, who is a manager at a local business.
Bannister was worried about what she would do without a car. She said she has car insurance, but she doesn’t believe she has much coverage. Her insurance company is assessing the damage.
In the meantime, Bannister had no way of driving her daughters to day care or getting herself to work.
“I was overwhelmed and just at a loss,” she said.
Then a total stranger showed up with a stunning offer: Jim Davenport wanted to give Bannister his old vehicle free.
“She needed the car more than I did,” said Davenport, 67.
Davenport — who bought a new car for himself last December — saw the local Fox19 news report about Bannister’s car and was disgusted by what happened to her.
“Everything in life comes full circle, and this guy will get what’s coming to him,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time.”
On the spot, he decided to give Bannister his extra vehicle, which is about 25 years old. Aside from some dents and dings, he said, “it’s a great running car.”
“I felt bad for what happened to her,” said Davenport, who works as a security guard. “I figured, why not bless her with a car?”
He promptly went to the police station in an effort to track her down, and officials contacted Bannister to let her know that someone wanted to give her their old car.
“I was in awe,” Bannister said. “There are good people in the world.”
Davenport met Bannister at the police station July 12 to give her the car. Fox19 was there to cover the kind gesture.
“He handed me the keys and told me where to go to get the title,” said Bannister, who requested that the make of the vehicle not be disclosed in the story, as she is concerned about someone targeting her again. “I’m still terrified.”
After such a frightening event, Bannister said, meeting Davenport helped restore her faith in humanity.
“He’s a very nice man, a very genuine-hearted person,” she said.
Davenport, a veteran, said he has esophageal cancer, which has spread to his liver.
“I don’t know how much time I’m going to be in this world,” Davenport said, noting that he has another old vehicle that he also intends to give to a person in need. “I want to bless somebody else with another car.”
He said he was glad to be able to help Bannister during a difficult time.
“She was so appreciative of it, she was in tears,” he said. “I was almost as overwhelmed as she was. It made me feel so good that I did it.”
Davenport said he has no family members to give his old cars to.
“Even if I had family, that would have went to her,” he said.
Davenport hopes his gift to Bannister inspires others to support someone in need.
“I’ve done my little bit to make the world a better place,” he said. “If you plant good seed, it’ll grow good things.”
