Firefighters were kept busy for the second night of arson attacks on vehicles in the town of Guardamar del Segura. Neither the World Cup celebrations nor the town’s patron saint festivities deterred the suspected arsonist, whose profile has been released to the public by the Local Police in an effort to stop the fires. On Friday night, 17th July,, five cars were set on fire, and two parked nearby suffered significant damage. In the early hours of Monday morning, four more cars were set ablaze, another vehicle was damaged, and a motorcycle was also set on fire.
This series of fires began with those recorded during the night of Saturday to Sunday, leaving seven vehicles damaged. The first incidents occurred on Calle Doctor Luis Rivera, and subsequently, flames appeared on other nearby streets in the municipality. The first call was received at 11:04 p.m. on Saturday. From that moment on, emergency services had to be deployed to different nearby locations to extinguish the fires and prevent the flames from reaching more vehicles. The night of calls continued despite the fact that the Guardia Civil and the Local Police were on alert.
According to the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium, a person is believed to have been progressively and intentionally setting fire to several parked vehicles. The Guardia Civil has taken charge of the investigation to clarify what happened, identify the possible perpetrator, and determine if all the fires are related, with the collaboration of the Local Police.
The local police in Guardamar del Segura are requesting public assistance in locating a young man suspected of arson in the municipality. According to the alert, they are looking for a person between 16 and 19 years old, tall and slim, with light brown hair and shaved sides.
The poster indicates that he may be travelling on foot or by scooter and that he would be wearing light-coloured clothing, in shades of grey or blue. The Local Police ask that any information be reported immediately to 112 or 965 729 600, and expressly request that no information be posted on social media, but rather that direct calls be made.
The Popular Party, in opposition, has once again linked the record of acts of vandalism or crime to the lack of local police officers.
