The Barcelona City Police Investigation Unit, in collaboration with the Territorial Unit for L’Eixample, arrested somebody on Thursday 18 December for presumed links with various cases of arson in the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni in November and December. The suspect was held in custody with an initial court hearing this weekend.
The investigation linked the suspect with five cases, mainly linked to the burning of waste containers and other elements of urban furniture. The last case was in C/ Villarroel on 17 December, when three waste containers were burnt.
The incidents generated significant costs for Barcelona City Council, resulting from the cost of replacing the affected materials, the costs linked to the work of the emergency services and the subsequent cleaning and repair of damage in public space.
According to the information gathered, the fires had a direct impact on the quality of life of local people and caused the degradation of public space, along with an accumulation of waste and environmental pollution.
The fires also posed a severe risk to people’s health and safety as they occurred during the day, at times with large volumes of pedestrians and when children were coming out of school. The propagation of fire and the inhalation of toxic fumes pose a particular danger for children, elderly people and vulnerable collectives.
One of the cases investigated was particularly serious, as the fire originated directly in front of a residential building, making it difficult for people to leave the building and generating a real risk for their physical integrity.
The arrest occurred after a patrol located the suspect in C/ Comte d’Urgell, dressed in the same clothes as they were wearing in the video surveillance images provided by an office near one of the fires. The officers on patrol recognised the individual without any doubt.
During the arrest, the suspect was found to be carrying an inflammable liquid, a burner and a box of matches, which were confiscated by the police.
The City Police point to the quality of the investigation conducted, which enabled the presumed perpetrator to be identified and detained, reaffirming the commitment of the corps to public safety, the protection of public space and coexistence in the city’s neighbourhoods.