Police are searching for at least three suspects in connection with three arson attacks that targeted a Richmond Hill business over the span of a week, including one incident on Wednesday that was caught on a security camera. York Regional Police (YRP) said all three incidents happened at a commercial business located in a plaza in the area of Leslie Street and East Wilmot Street. At around 5:15 a.m. on Wednesday, police said three suspects arrived in a black SUV. In the security camera footage shared by YRP, the first suspect is seen smashing the business’s storefront window with what appears to be a hatchet before kicking it to make a hole. The second suspect, carrying two jerry cans, heads inside the business. After the second suspect exits the store, the first suspect appears to light something in his hand and tosses it inside the business. Suddenly, the store goes up in flames. One suspect is seen taking out his phone and appears to film or take a photo of the fire before returning to the SUV and leaving the plaza. Police said the licence plate of the SUV had been determined to be stolen from a vehicle in Ajax. No injuries were reported, as the store was unoccupied at the time. Police said the fire burned out on its own. The business was first targeted on Aug. 19, involving two suspects. Police said one suspect smashed the front door of the business and entered with a jerry can. “The suspect was then seen running from the business, followed by an explosion and visible red flames,” police said. They later fled in their vehicle, which was subsequently determined to have been stolen in Toronto. Two days later, on Aug. 21, a similar incident occurred at the same business involving two suspects. One suspect poured gasoline near the front entrance and ignited it, police said. They later fled in an SUV, which police said was also stolen in Toronto. No suspect descriptions have been released. York Regional Police media relations officer Const. Caroline de Kloet said it is unknown whether the same suspects or vehicles are involved. When asked if the suspects could be part of a “criminals-for-hire” network, de Kloet said investigators have not determined if it was a phone that was seen in the video and whether it was used to record the incident. The Toronto Police Service indicated that some of the shooting incidents they’re investigating involved “criminals-for-hire” and revealed that suspects were required to film their attacks before getting a payment.
