A 50-year-old man has been arrested in the Aveiro district on suspicion of setting a fire in an urban area in Estarreja, the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) announced on Tuesday, July 22, in a statement.
With assistance from the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) and following several investigative procedures, the PJ identified and apprehended the alleged arsonist, out of flagrante delicto. The incident took place in the early hours of Monday and affected a residence in Estarreja.
The PJ noted that the suspect, who suffers from depression exacerbated by heavy alcohol consumption, doused the interior of the home with gasoline during a family argument.
Family members at the scene immediately fled and sought help from the authorities. Despite their efforts, the suspect, who was alone by then, proceeded to set the property ablaze.
The fire partially destroyed the residence but was prevented from spreading further thanks to the prompt intervention of both the fire brigade and the GNR, according to the PJ.
The suspect was brought before judicial authorities in Aveiro for an initial court hearing and has been placed under the most severe restraint measure, preventive detention.
