SOMEONE, somewhere, knows something about who torched eight vehicles at Mitchell’s Towing last fall, causing $750,000 in damage.
Company owner Mitchell Martin is asking anyone with information identifying the suspect to anonymously contact Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers.
Martin is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who provides Crime Stoppers with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist.
Two of the company’s trucks were set on fire in the early morning of Friday, September 25, 2020, along with six other vehicles in the company’s lot. One of the tow trucks, used frequently for responding to calls on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, was destroyed and had to be replaced. The other damaged truck is no longer fit for use and has been kept for training purposes only.
“We did recover dashcam video from one of the trucks showing someone in our locked compound about 2:15 that morning,” Martin says. “Arson cases like this threaten the safety and security of our staff, our customers and the community at large. No one is safe while this person’s at large and I’m appealing to anyone with information to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.”
The dashcam video reveals someone who appears to be a male of average height and build, carrying a black backpack with a red bottle in the side pocket. The person’s face was covered by a blue surgical face mask.
“Like any crime, we always guarantee anonymity to anyone providing information,” says Linda Annis, Executive Director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers. “Any and all information provided in tips we receive on this case will be passed on directly to the RCMP. We are not the police, and we don’t want to know who you are, but we do want to receive information that police can use to investigate and make an arrest.”
“We need help to move this investigation forward,” says Sgt. Peter DeVries of the North Vancouver RCMP. “We’re talking to the person that knows who lit this fire. You can do the right thing and you can stay hidden. We, the police, don’t ever need to know who you are. And if the information you give to Crime Stoppers leads to an arrest and conviction, there’s $25,000 available for you if you decide you want it.”
