Tree Fire - Youths Arrested

Connected To Other Suspicious Fires?

Two males, ages 16 and 17, have been arrested in connection with a suspicious fire at Latimer Park on Sunday night.

Police were called to the park by attending fire crews at approximately 11:20 PM after witnesses reported seeing a fire starting at the base of a tree. The park is located at 1800 Latimer Rd. Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire and told officers two youth were seen in the area shortly before the fire was reported.

Officers soon located the two males and arrested them for Mischief. One of the youth was in possession of a cell phone and on it they found pictures of the blaze. Along withe this fire they also discovered pictures taken over another file. The second fire appeared to have been taken at a bush fire on an undeveloped parcel of land located behind Cyber City off of Bowen Rd. Officers are attempting to determine when that fire occurred and who else may be involved.

Both youths were taken to the Nanaimo RCMP Detachment and later turned over to their parents. The two were released on Promises to Appear and Undertakings. Conditions of their release include a curfew, no contact with each other and not to possess incendiary devices. Both are scheduled to appear in Nanaimo Provincial court on April 19th on one count of Mischief to Property, under the Criminal Code of Canada.

“Our members will most certainly be following up on these two incidents and attempting to see if there is any connection,if any, between these fires and the recent suspicious fires that have occurred in Nanaimo in recent months” said Constable Gary O’Brien, media spokesperson for the Nanaimo RCMP.

Anyone with information on this fire or any fires that have occurred in the area behind Cyber City is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Editor's Comment: It is long past time, that these clowns were not shielded because of their age, and the general public were notified as to just who may be living next door to them.