Montreal police arrest 2 suspected arsonists
Two suspects believed to be behind separate incidents of arson in Montreal, including one at a place of worship, have been arrested, police say.
Montreal police made the arrests on July 7 and 13 and said in a news release that the two incidents are likely unrelated.
In the first case, police said they received a 911 call reporting a suspicious man in a medical centre on Westminster Avenue North in Montreal-West.
"The individual in question was reportedly seen at the same location on June 23. He would have tried at this time tried to start a fire in the toilets of the establishment. Patrol officers dispatched to the scene arrested him a few minutes later," police said in the release.
The 37-year-old suspect's motive is not yet known, but investigators are still trying to determine if he was responsible for other recent acts of arson in the same area.
In the second case, on July 9, police say an individual went to a place of worship on l'Acadie Boulevard around 5:30 a.m. and set a banner and a string of lights on fire. The person also broke two windows before fleeing the scene.
Firefighters were called and quickly extinguished the fire.
On July 13, investigators identified a 33-year-old male suspect who was already in custody for theft committed a few days prior. Arson-related charges are pending, police said.
Montreal police say the public's help is important in the fight against arson and invite anyone with information to call 911 or file an anonymous report by calling 514-393-1133.
