Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2022
File: 22-15457
Victoria, BC – Patrol officers arrested a man in Victoria this morning after he poured gasoline on an occupied boat in Esquimalt and attempted to set it on fire.
Shortly after 5:30 a.m. this morning Patrol officers responded to a dock in the 500-block of Head Street in Esquimalt for a report that a man poured gasoline on an occupied boat and attempted to light it on fire. The fire did not ignite and the suspect fled the scene. The suspect also uttered death threats toward the two occupants of the boat.
Officers gathered a description of the suspect and searched areas in Victoria and Esquimalt. At approximately 8 a.m. officers located and arrested the suspect in the 900-block of Pandora Avenue without incident. The man was transported to VicPD cells.
The suspect faces recommended charges of attempted arson with disregard for human life and uttering threats. He was held in custody for a bail hearing.
This file remains under investigation. The suspect and the victims were known to each other and this is believed to be a targeted incident. At this time, there is no indication that this incident is related to any other ongoing arson investigations.
If you have information about this incident, please call our 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.
-30-