In a court session, an electrician’s assistant, who is currently held in preventive detention, limited his responses to personal identification questions. He faces charges related to three forest fires that occurred on August 16, 2023, and September 8 and 15, 2024, in various areas of Aveiro municipality, including Cacia, Monte do Paço, and Mataduços. The accused had previously served a prison sentence for the same type of offense.
Surveillance cameras captured the suspect near a property in Monte do Paço, Esgueira, close to where one of the fires started. During the session, the defendant’s brother testified, stating he saw the accused entering the woods in Cacia early on September 15 and noticing smoke upon his exit. The brother further reported the defendant had previously set fire to his trailer and parents’ home, destroying their residence.
Additionally, a neighbor testified, claiming he saw the defendant biking with two jerry cans near his Mataduços home, followed him by car, and witnessed the fire already underway. This neighbor stated the defendant is notorious locally for setting fires.
The suspect was arrested by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) in September 2024 after the last fire in Cacia. The PJ at the time reported the fire occurred in a large forested area near residential and industrial facilities, which did not escalate significantly owing to timely detection and intervention. The authorities further noted the accused’s tendency to repeat such actions, with no discernible rational motive for his crimes.
