Man arrested in Gran Canaria for setting fire to shelter with person inside
A 47-year-old man was arrested in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 16 May for attempting to burn another person alive. The victim sustained second-degree burns.
Sets fire to shelter with victim inside and assaults him while attempting to escape
The National Police arrested a 47-year-old man in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria accused of attempted homicide and assault on a police officer, according to ABC. The detainee allegedly set fire to the camping shelter where another person was sleeping on 16 May.
The incident began that morning when the 091 emergency line received a report of a brawl between two individuals living in shelters set up on public land. Several units of the National Police were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, officers found firefighters intervening in the blaze whilst thick smoke enveloped the area. The subsequent investigation revealed that the victim and attacker knew each other and that the source of the conflict had been an argument held the previous night.
The victim told officers that the detainee had threatened to burn down his shelter. Minutes later, the man returned to the scene carrying a lighter and set fire to the structure whilst the victim was inside. When he attempted to escape the flames, the attacker kicked him, causing him to fall back inside the burning shelter, before abandoning the scene.
The victim managed to get out thanks to the intervention of a witness. He had second-degree burns in various parts of his body and was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
Using the physical description of the suspect, officers activated a search operation and located him shortly afterwards in the vicinity of his home. Upon noticing the police presence, the man attempted to flee and resisted violently, leaving an officer injured during the intervention.
The detainee was placed at the disposal of the judicial authority, which ordered his remand in custody.
Source: ABC