By james art Four girls, ages 12 to 16, are facing criminal charges after an alleged arson attack severely damaged several Oshawa homes earlier this month.
The fire broke out around 5 a.m. Oct. 6 at a residence in the area of Eddystone and Okanagan trails, Durham Regional Police said in a news release Tuesday.
The home was occupied at the time. Everyone inside was able to escape safely and no injuries were reported, police said.
The fire is believed to have caused more than $2 million in damage to multiple properties, according to police.
The four girls, all from Oshawa, were arrested Sunday.
Three of the girls, ages 12, 15 and 16, face one count each of arson with reckless disregard for human life, mischief under $5,000 and intimidation by threats of violence. Meanwhile, another 15-year-old was charged with arson with disregard for human life and mischief under $5,000.
All four have been held for a bail hearing, police said.
The fire started from the back door of the house: Durham Police
Durham Police Const. Nicholas Gluckstein said a fire started near the back sliding doors of a residence, eventually spreading throughout the home and several other houses.
The property damage of more than $2 million falls under the arson charges, he said, while the mischief under the $5,000 charges includes the damage done to the back of the house.
“I don’t think anybody intended for the fire to consume the entire residence, but starting a fire in any capacity is clearly illegal,” Gluckstein said. “These were the unfortunate results of this mischief.”
Gluckstein said there had been an argument between the four accused girls and the owners of the house before the fire.
Joshua Sonilal, who lives on Eddystone Path, said the girls pelted the targeted house with eggs and threw a rock through the patio door before setting the fire alight.
He said the public was shocked by the age of the girls.
“We knew they were young, but we didn’t know they were this young. Many people are at a loss for words,” Sonilal said.
He said the property management hired security guards to patrol the area overnight after the fire.
“But these kids are not afraid of the police, which made us even scarier because if you’re not afraid of the police, what is a security officer going to do?” he said.
People are moving out of the area after the fire, neighbors say
Sonilal said a number of people, including tenants, are moving out of the area after the fire.
Although the community is still shaken, he said he is happy the girls have been arrested.
“They need to learn that their actions have consequences,” he said. “We hope they are charged to the fullest extent so they can understand that what they did was wrong.”
Neighbor Zia Mahmood said she had to move out of her house for seven days after the fire.
On Sunday, he said the community held a fundraiser for two affected families, both of whom have young children. One of the families plans to move out because they are worried about the psychological impact on their children, he said.
“It was a very sad and very disturbing thing for the whole neighborhood,” Mahmoud said.
Anyone with information about the fire or video footage that could help with the investigation is asked to contact Durham Police or send an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.