Police have charged a 21-year-old man who set fire to a car in Odesa upon request. For intentionally damaging someone else's property, the suspect could face up to ten years in prison.
Recently, emergency services reported a vehicle fire on Varna Street. Fortunately, no one was harmed. Firefighters extinguished the flames, and police launched a criminal investigation.
During investigative activities, employees of the criminal investigation and criminal analysis departments of the Odesa Regional Police established that a 21-year-old resident of Odesa was involved in the crime.
Authorities discovered that while looking for work, the young man began communicating via a popular messaging app with a stranger who introduced himself as a collector. He offered the Odesa resident a monetary reward to "punish" his debtors by setting their cars on fire. Agreeing to this illegal proposal, the young man photographed the first vehicle he encountered in the evening, and the "supervisor" approved its destruction, assuring him that according to his database, the owner had a debt.
The suspect purchased a flammable substance, late in the evening doused the agreed-upon "BMW," owned by a 28-year-old local resident, lit it with a lighter, and after filming a "report" for his "employer," fled the scene.
As a result of the fire, the car was nearly completely destroyed. The amount of damages incurred by the owner is being established.
The police quickly located the arsonist and seized several pieces of evidence from him.
Gathering sufficient evidence, investigators charged the suspect with willfully damaging someone else's property through arson. Under Part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the maximum penalty for this crime is ten years in prison.
The question of choosing a preventive measure for the suspect is being resolved. All circumstances of the crime are being established. The investigation is ongoing.
The procedural leadership is carried out by the Hadyjibey District Prosecutor's Office of Odesa.