A 21-year-old Wellington man has been arrested and charged with arson after a fire at a block of flats in Lower Hutt last month.
Police specified that he was charged in relation to only one of three recent fires at the Stokes Valley address.
“The charge relates to a fire at a Hanson Grove flat on October 10,” a police spokesperson said.
“Two further fires were reported at the flat, on October 14 and November 5; the latest blaze left an 82-year-old man critically injured.”
The man arrested last night was set to appear in Hutt Valley District Court today.
“Police are continuing to investigate all three fires, which were intentionally lit, however the charge only relates to the first arson,” Detective Inspector Haley Ryan said.
“We believe there is a strong possibility that other people are involved with that fire on Thursday, October 10, which is why it’s so important that we get as much information from the public as possible to help us build a picture of what occurred on that occasion, and the other two occasions.”
‘A respected 82-year-old man’
Police said a silver or grey car was seen driving in the Hanson Grove area just before the November 5 fire, which left the 82-year-old man injured.
“We need to hear from anyone who may have CCTV footage of this car, or anyone who may have seen it.”
The car was speeding around the Stokes Valley area when the November 5 fire started, Ryan said.
“We also still want to hear from anyone with information about a male seen riding a bike barefoot around that time.
“It is possible neither the cyclist nor the occupants of the vehicle are involved in the fire, but they may have crucial evidence that can help us.
“At the heart of this is a respected 82-year-old man who is critically injured as a result of this act.
“If you have any information at all, no matter how insignificant it might seem, please contact us.”
Anyone who could help was urged to call 105.
