40-year-old arsonist arrested in Euboea – lit fires with lighter in forest near Chalkida
A 40-year-old was arrested in Euboea for three consecutive fires in a forested area. He confessed and acknowledged a previous involvement in arson cases in 2018.
Arsonist arrested in Euboea: lit fires with lighter in pine forest in Stavros Chalkida
A 40-year-old man was arrested in Euboea on suspicion of intentional arson with persistence, after igniting three consecutive fires in a forested area in the Stavros Chalkida region, according to cnn.gr.
According to information from competent sources, the perpetrator was moving on a motorcycle, would stop at the roadside and, using a lighter, would set fire to dried grass within a forested area next to pine trees. The three incidents occurred on the evening of the previous day in the same area.
Investigation and confession
Officials from the Arson Crime Suppression Unit (A.K.A.E.E.) in Euboea, with the assistance of the Directorate for the Suppression of Arson Crimes (D.A.E.E.), collected and evaluated comprehensively all available evidence relating to the fires. The investigation produced serious indications against the 40-year-old.
During the preliminary investigation, the man confessed that he caused the three fires intentionally. According to information from competent sources, he cited the behaviour of his neighbours towards him as a motive, claiming that this drove him to commit these acts.
Subsequently, a reconstruction was carried out in the presence of investigative officials, during which the arrested man indicated the exact locations of the fires and the manner in which he acted. The evidence from the reconstruction, according to the Fire Service, was correlated with the findings that had already been gathered.
Previous arson history from 2018
The 40-year-old had been involved in the past in an arson case. In 2018 he was arrested for the same crime and, according to information from competent sources, had confessed to involvement in nine arson incidents. In the context of that case, he had been placed in pre-trial detention for 18 months, however he was ultimately acquitted by the court due to doubts. His previous involvement is being considered in the context of the new file that has been compiled against him.
The arrested man is being brought before the competent Prosecuting Authority.
The Fire Service: "Uncompromising against every arson action"
"The investigation of this case is the result of immediate mobilisation, systematic investigation and close cooperation between the A.K.A.E.E. in Euboea and the D.A.E.E., with the aim of fully clarifying each incident and immediately assigning criminal liability," the Fire Service said in a statement.
The Fire Service emphasised that it "is uncompromising against every deliberate arson action, which places human lives, property and the natural environment at immediate risk", adding that those responsible, when identified, are immediately brought before the Justice system. The D.A.E.E. and the A.K.A.E.E., according to the same statement, continue with undiminished intensity the investigations to identify individuals who commit deliberate arson actions.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)