Date: Monday, July 19th 2021
File: 21-28872
Victoria, BC – VicPD is thanking members of the public who extinguished a group of small fires while officers responded to a series of incidents in which a woman set grass fires in Beacon Hill Park, attempted to steal a vehicle, and broke into a nearby residence.
Patrol officers were called to Beacon Hill Park near the 200-block of Simcoe Street just after 5:30 p.m. yesterday for a report that a woman was walking in the area, using a small torch to light sections of grass on fire. Victoria is currently under a B.C. Wildfire Class 5, or “extreme”, danger rating. Several people were following the woman and extinguishing the flames before they spread.
The first officer to arrive located the woman sitting near a van in the 200-block of Simcoe Street. The officer recognized the woman as being wanted on a warrant from Duncan, B.C. and moved to take her into custody. The woman fought with the officer and leaped into the nearby van, which did not belong to her. While still fighting with the officer, the woman started the van and attempted to drive away. The officer then deployed OC spray, impacting both parties’ vision and causing the woman to flee the van. The officer radioed for additional units to assist and helped secure the running vehicle.
As additional Patrol officers arrived they were flagged down by a person in the 200-block of Douglas Street. The person who flagged the officers down had fled their suite in a multi-unit residential building with their dog after a woman broke in. They told officers that the woman had entered their suite, taken clothes from their bedroom closet and was now taking a shower in their bathroom. Officers entered the suite and located the woman in the bathroom. She was taken into custody without further incident.
In addition to being wanted on a warrant out of Duncan, B.C., investigating officers learned the woman is also awaiting disposition of several charges related to a number of incidents including an alleged assault of staff at a multi-unit temporary housing facility, as well as mischief and break and enter files. She now faces additional recommended charges related to arson, breaking and entering, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, flight from police and resisting arrest.
She was held for morning court.
Given the tinder-dry conditions, VicPD would like to thank the members of the public who extinguished the numerous small grass fires that the woman had started.
If you have information about this series of incidents and have not yet spoken to officers, please call the VicPD Report Desk at (250) 995-7654, extension 1. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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