The man accused of setting a van on fire in front of Vancouver City Hall on Sunday is facing multiple criminal charges.
Thien Ngo was arrested after allegedly parking a van in front of the building and setting it on fire around 5 p.m.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue crews were called to 12th and Cambie streets on Sunday evening and arrived to find a van engulfed in flames.
They extinguished the fire, but according to Vancouver police, there were still about 100 litres of unburned gasoline in canisters inside the vehicle.
A hazardous materials team was also called in to deal with the fuel.
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“Crews mitigated the situation and upon further investigation found the van was full of fuel,” Vancouver Fire Acting Asst. Fire Chief Walter Pereria told Global News.
“It ended up becoming a hazardous material situation because of the amount of fuel that was used in this incident.”
Thankfully no one was hurt, but the incident disrupted traffic in the area for several hours Sunday evening.
On Monday, Ngo was charged with arson, possession of explosives with intent to endanger life or cause property damage and mischief.
A motive for Sunday’s incident remains unclear.
Vancouver police said Monday they believed the fire was an isolated incident and that the suspect acted alone.
Police said it was not related to global politics or the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Investigators said they could not confirm the suspect had a manifesto, but a source told Global News the man uttered words about Trump.
The VPD did confirm the man had previous contact with police.
“We have asked that this person be evaluated psychologically and that consideration be given to keeping him in custody or giving very strict bail conditions to prevent any further risk to the public,” Sgt. Steve Addison said.
Ngo remains in custody.
According to court records, Ngo has previously faced several fishing-related charges.
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