"Unable to Pay Rent Due to COVID-19"... 60-Year-Old Man Commits Series of Arsons on Restaurants and Passenger Cars

Passenger car completely burned... Charcoal briquettes found inside vehicle
Police to request arrest warrant on charges including arson of general buildings and vehicles

In the early morning of the 19th, a restaurant burned down due to arson in Yuseong, Daejeon. Photo by reader Song Young-hoon [Photo=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] A man in his 60s, who was experiencing financial difficulties due to the impact of COVID-19, set fire to his restaurant and rental car.

According to the fire authorities on the 19th, a report was received around 5:40 a.m. that a Grandeur passenger car parked on a road near Yuseong Oncheon Station in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, caught fire. A fire also broke out at a restaurant about 10 to 20 meters away from the car fire scene, damaging the restaurant's exterior and fixtures.

Firefighters who arrived at the scene extinguished the two fires. There were no reported casualties. The Grandeur was completely burned in the fire, and a lightning charcoal briquette was found inside the vehicle.

The police arrested the arson suspect, restaurant owner Mr. A (66), near the fire scene around 8 a.m. that day after analyzing witness statements and nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. At the time, Mr. A was found intoxicated near the scene.

Investigations revealed that Mr. A committed the crime while intoxicated after suffering financial difficulties such as reduced income and inability to pay rent due to the impact of COVID-19.

The police plan to request an arrest warrant for Mr. A on charges of arson of general buildings and vehicles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.