A 40-year-old man has been detained by the Judiciary Police (PJ) for allegedly committing arson in a building and an act of domestic violence, incidents that occurred on October 18 in Arcozelo, Barcelos.
“The suspect, in a context of domestic violence, after making threats against his mother and other cohabitants, used a lighter to ignite combustible material placed inside the kitchen cabinet” and subsequently left the premises, according to a statement released on Monday.
Upon encountering “smoke emanating from that compartment,” despite the suspect’s opposition, the landlords “used a hose to pour water over the area and control the flames until the firefighters arrived, who eventually extinguished the fire.”
“The location, comprising three contiguous autonomous units, was at risk of destruction, exacerbated by the presence of gas within the residence, posing a real danger of explosion,” the statement reads.
The detainee “with issues related to drug and alcohol addiction, has criminal records for trafficking and domestic violence.”
The man is set to appear before the judicial authority for his initial interrogation and the application of coercive measures.
