Police are searching for a person of interest who appears in a video taken on the night of a series of midtown car and garage fires.
The footage -- taken from a homeowner's security camera last Friday in the Bayview and Moore Avenues area -- shows a male wearing dark clothing, a baseball cap and a dark backpack.
"(He) has a unique walk or pace," Det. Sgt. Daniel Sabadics told reporters on Wednesday.
Sabadics said he appears to be holding a cup or bottle in his left hand, and is seen in the video walking past behind a parked BMW before changing directions.
"(This) is somebody with purpose," Sabadics said. "(He) is also dynamic and energetic, so to me I am categorizing (him) as a younger person, or maybe (he) is an older person with a lot of energy."
Last Friday, a total of 12 vehicles and a home were involved in at least seven separate fires in the area, causing an estimated $100,000 in damage. Police are urging residents to keep their vehicles locked or stored in a garage.
"From what I understand from the fire marshal and the specialists, (these incidents were) urge-oriented," Sabadics said, adding that there may not have been a "specific" MO.
At around the same time as the vehicle fires, Sabadics said police were also called to robbery at a nearby convenience store. Investigators are exploring a possible link between the incidents.
"We don't know if it’s a red herring or not at this point," Sabadics said. "(But) because of the geographic location…the time frame and the similarity of the description of the suspect, we’re looking at it as a viable option."
Anyone with information about the person of interest or the fires is asked to call police at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
