UPDATE: Man accused of threatening Penticton city hall staff arrested after garage fire

PENTICTON – The same man arrested after threatening voicemail messages were left at Penticton city hall is in custody following an early morning fire at this home.

Police and Penticton firefighters responded to a garage fire around 5:48 a.m., Nov. 6, at 112 – 2990 South Main St.

Penticton RCMP Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says a 39-year-old man was taken into custody at the scene after allegedly setting his car on fire. The flames spread to the garage.

The man arrested in connection with the fire is the same man taken into custody and released Nov. 4 after threatening voicemail messages were left at Penticton city hall. RCMP said the suspect's power had been cut off by the city. Earlier this week he underwent a psychological assessment and was released to appear in court next month on a charge of uttering threats.

Wrigglesworth says police are also liaising with community mental health workers.

“There is a male currently in RCMP cells facing a potential charge of arson to endanger life,” he says in a media release. “The police will be taking all possible steps to ensure this male remains in custody so that he will no longer have the ability to harm or endanger others.”

Wrigglesworth say investigators are interviewing witnesses and working with the fire department to conduct an examination of the scene of the fire.

Any witnesses who have not yet spoken with the police are asked to call Const. Layne Morris at the Penticton RCMP detachment at 250-492-4300.

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To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.