Wednesday, August 14
Explosion at the butcher’s: Two men arrested for arson
At around 04:20 on Tuesday morning, a violent explosion shook a street in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen, with glass, debris and cans of food scattering across the pavement. This was a deliberate act of arson.
Witnesses saw a man flee the scene shortly afterwards and jump into a getaway car. Police teams located the vehicle in Reinickendorf, abandoned. But the perpetrators were not far away. Two young men – a 16-year-old and a 19-year-old – were discovered nearby, hiding beneath a parked van. The younger man had suffered some burn injuries from the explosion, while the 19-year-old was found to be driving without a licence. Both were in possession of drugs. The suspects were arrested on suspicion of serious arson, illegal motor racing, driving without a licence and violating the narcotics act.
As for the butcher’s shop, it appears to be a total write-off. The fire brigade deployed 46 emergency personnel to extinguish the blaze and evacuated eight residents from the five-story apartment building. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. The owner estimates the damage at around €200,000.
As for the motive behind the crime, it remains a mystery. Asked by the B.Z. whether the cause might be “stress” between people in the neighbourhood, the owner of the building replied: “Who would have stress against a butcher?”
