A suspect has been charged in relation to a New Year’s Day fire that destroyed a professional building on 12th Avenue in Tsawwassen.
Daniel Robert Hacking, 30, of Delta has been charged with one count of break and enter and one count of arson damaging property.
Hacking has since been released on a number of conditions, one of which is obeying house arrest, 24 hours a day, unless receiving written permission to leave for compelling reasons, such as employment or outings under supervision. He is also not permitted to possess any incendiary devices.
His next court appearance is Aug. 7.
“This was a challenging investigation as the building was completely destroyed in the fire,” said Delta police S/Sgt. Dave Vaughan-Smith. “I want to commend our Delta firefighters – they definitely had some challenging work with this fire, and were of great assistance in our investigation.”
The building housed two dental clinics and a music school.
The Delta Fire Department was called to the scene at approximately 4 a.m. on Jan. 1. The fire was extensive, and was not fully extinguished until the next day. There were no injuries reported.
“We want to acknowledge the impact this fire had on our community, as we know many were understandably upset,” added Vaughan-Smith. “Three separate businesses were badly damaged by the fire, with a broader impact on their customers and clients. It was important to our officers to take the time to do a thorough investigation.”
Meanwhile, Delta police continue to investigate several other suspicious fires in the community from late last year, including one at a tattoo shop in Ladner Village and several others at vacant homes near South Delta Secondary.
DPD public affairs coordinator Cris Leykauf told the Optimist that police do not want to speculate about a connection at this point, adding all she could say is that those investigations are ongoing.
