Vancouver Police have released the photo of a man they believe may be a "person of interest" in a string of Vancouver arsons dating back to October. Four of the fires took place in less than 24 hours.
The man was seen purchasing a small amount of gas from a gas station at East 57th Ave. and Knight St. on November 23.
Police felt it was strange for someone to buy such a small quantity of gas at that time of year. Normally, they say these small fill-ups are more common in the spring and summer when people are using gardening equipment that use minimal amounts of petrol.
Arson investigators say they've linked the following 11 arsons in south and northeast Vancouver since October 7th:
- October 7, 2008 - 2500 Graveley Street
- October 19, 2008 - 5400 Killarney
- October 19, 2008 - 1000 E. 49th Ave
- October 19, 2008 - 3300 E. 45th Ave
- October 20, 2008 - 7200 Knight Street
- October 23, 2008 - 5100 Clarendon
- October 23, 2008 - 3600 Monmouth Avenue
- October 29, 2008 - 3600 Turner Street
- November 11, 2008 - 900 Cassiar Street
- November 20, 2008 - 3400 East 45th Ave
- November 24, 2008 - 7200 Dumfries
Related: Complete map of arson locations
All of the arsons have targetted garages and vehicles, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage.
Police say these arsons are not connected to six fires set in southeast Vancouver in September, including one that killed a 76-year-old woman.
Anyone with information about these arsons is asked to call investigators at 604-717-2541.
