Investigation into suspicious fires results in arrests

Fire destroyed a barn on County Road 49. – Megan Hutton photo

Two Napanee men have been charged in connection with suspicious fires in Napanee and Prince Edward County.

On Jan. 2, emergency services responded to a fire at Palace Market, an antique and collectibles store on Palace Road and deemed it suspicious.

In September 2017, the Napanee OPP detachment commenced an investigation into a number of suspicious fires that had occurred within the Town of Greater Napanee. As the investigation expanded, it became apparent to the police that other fires that had been set in the Prince Edward County area were likely linked to these occurrences.

Investigation into the nature of these fires continued under the direction of Detective Inspector Dave Robinson of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and culminated in the arrest of two people Wednesday.

Two men, aged 33 and 40, both from the Greater Napanee area, are facing charges which include Arson, Break and Enter and Mischief Under $5000. One also faces four additional charges of Public Mischief. Both are being held for a Bail Hearing and will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Napanee.

The investigation continues and anyone with information is asked to call Napanee OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.