Surrey RCMP arrest man after ‘suspicious’ fire in Cloverdale

Surrey RCMP say a man has been arrested following a fire in Cloverdale early Wednesday morning (April 3).

Police said they received a report of a structure fire at a home in the 5800-block of 191A Street around 1 a.m.

Witnesses, according to a news release from Surrey RCMP, saw a man running from the area and “slashing vehicle tires with a knife as he fled.” Police said the fire was extinguished by bystanders by the time police and the fire department arrived on scene, “limiting the damage to a garage door at the front of the residence.”

Surrey RCMP said once officers were on scene, they found evidence “consistent with possible arson.”

With help from Police Dog Services and Langley RCMP, according to the release, a suspect was found nearby in the 19100-block of 59th Avenue.

.@SurreyRCMP say a man has been arrested following a suspicious residential fire in #CloverdaleBC early Wednesday morning (April 3). #SurreyBC @SurreyNowLeader

More to come at https://t.co/BM1GSWYKyY.

— Lauren Collins (@laurenpcollins1) April 3, 2019

The suspect, a 25-year-old Surrey man, was arrested “without incident” and taken into police custody, RCMP said.

The incident, police said, is still under investigation and the suspect remained in police custody as of Wednesday afternoon. No charges have been laid at this time.

“Investigators believe this to be an isolated incident between individuals known to each other and there is no further risk to the public,” Surrey RCMP said.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or if they wish to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or solvecrime.ca.