Man who went missing after Richmond Hill house fire charged with arson

Man missing after Richmond Hill home explodes York Regional Police are looking for 21-year-old Daniel Popov who was last seen leaving his Richmond Hill home after it exploded.

Police have located and laid a number of charges against a young man who was missing for nearly five days after he was last seen leaving his residence following a house fire and subsequent explosion.

On Friday, 21-year-old Daniel Popov was found by investigators with York police in Georgina, Ont.

On March 20, a residential property on Deerwood Crescent in Richmond Hill caught fire, resulting in an explosion. Nobody was harmed, investigators said, but the home sustained significant damage and had to be demolished.

On Thursday, police issued a release in an effort to locate Popov, who they said was last seen exiting the home at approximately 12:50 p.m on March 20, after the blaze.

Popov had been reportedly spotted walking in the area following the fire. Police say he was later observed in a white vehicle, and then not spotted again for a number of days.

Investigators executed a search warrant on Popov’s property Thursday, combing the rubble in a two-day search.

On Friday, officers located Popov in Georgina where he was transported to a local hospital. He has been charged with one count of arson with disregard for human life, one count of mischief to property over $5,000, and one count of breach of probation.

He is scheduled to appear in a Newmarket courtroom on March 27.

Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to contact York Regional Police Service.