Police have arrested one man in connection to a string of suspicious James Bay fires set within 10 minutes of one another.
Oliver Govinda Peterson, 50, was arrested May 29 and faces three recommended arson charges. Victoria Police Department patrol officers worked with the Major Crime Unit and officers from Strike Force to locate and arrest Peterson, who they believe is behind three fires set in the early morning hours of May 14.
READ ALSO: Three fires reported in 10 minutes within one block sparks Victoria police investigation
At 3 a.m. on May 14, VicPD officers were responding to a suspicious construction bin fire near Michigan and Powell streets when they were alerted to a second suspicious fire in the 500-block of Government Street. There, police found the staircase of a heritage building on fire.
Only five minutes later, police were called to a third fire in the 200-block of Menzies Street, where a dumpster became fully engulfed in flames. That fire spread to a nearby wooden fence but officers used a fire extinguisher to contain the blaze.
The Victoria Fire Department helped police tackle all three fires and while there were no injuries, there was significant property damage.
READ ALSO: VicPD investigating six more suspicious fires set over the long weekend
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