Arsonist arrested in Arrecife

The Arrecife National Police have arrested a 42-year-old man, with an existing police record, as the alleged perpetrator of 30+ fires in Arrecife.

Last month, several fires were lit in the streets of the capital including 21 rubbish bin fires, 9 vehicle fires and numerous building fires.

The fires aren’t new and have been occurring on the island for years in multiple municipalities. In 2023 Arrecife was the worst affected area with 56 of the 124 container fires reported that year being located in Arrecife. The police have made several arrests, most notably in October 2022 with the arrest of a 41-year-old who admitted to 118 arson attacks.

However, despite a series of arrests, the fires continue to pop up with them becoming a weekly occurrence.

This latest arrest came after the police launched an investigation and managed to identify and locate another perpetrator of some the recent fires. The 42-year-old man was immediately sent to prison.