A 79-year-old man, arrested by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) on suspicion of setting a forest fire due to “disputes with neighbors” in the Alvaiázere municipality, has been placed in preventive detention.
The Procuradoria da República da Comarca de Leiria announced in a note published this Friday that the man was presented for a first judicial interrogation last Wednesday, October 15, being “strongly suspected of committing the crime of forest fire.”
The crime occurred on the afternoon of October 7, in the parish of Pelmá, “when the accused, motivated by disagreements with neighbors about the cleaning of adjoining lands, set fire to dry vegetation at four different points in a forested area near his residence.”
“The court strongly indicated the intentional nature of the forest fire crime, considering the intentionality and the high danger of the conduct, carried out in a populated area and during a high fire risk period,” explained the prosecution.
Thus, “given the risk of repeating the conduct and the serious disturbance to public tranquility caused,” the judge decided to apply the most severe coercive measure, preventive detention.
The investigation continues under the direction of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Departamento de Investigação e Ação Penal de Leiria.
On Wednesday, the PJ announced the arrest of a 79-year-old man on suspicion of committing the crime of forest fire.
“Using a lighter, the man started the fire that consumed a forest area densely populated with maritime pine and olive trees, with a high potential to cause loss of human lives and significant damage, if not for the prompt and effective intervention of the Alvaiázere Volunteer Firefighters who were nearby,” read a statement sent to newsrooms.
According to the PJ, the man, retired and with no known criminal record, was arrested in close collaboration with the Grupo de Redução de Ignições do Centro Litoral and the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) of Pombal.
The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) announced today the arrest of a 79-year-old man suspected of committing a forest fire crime that occurred last week in the Alvaiázere municipality, Leiria district.
