Vernon RCMP need help identifying school arson suspect

Police suspect a woman caught on video surveillance was involved with a fire at a Vernon school in August and they’re asking the public to help identify them.

Staff at the school arrived on Aug. 29 to find remnants of a burned garbage can against an exterior wall of the building, according to an RCMP media release. Police to not identify the school, but the only school on Pleasant Valley Road in the city is the Vernon Christian School.

Surveillance cameras captured the incident, and when reviewing the footage, staff could see the fire was intentionally set so they phoned police.

The person in the video deliberately lights a material on fire and tosses it into the garbage can before walking away, RCMP said. The garbage can was fully engulfed in flames shortly after and eventually burned out.

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“Thankfully, the fire was contained inside the garbage can and did not spread to the building,” Vernon RCMP media relations officer Const. Chris Terleski said in the release. “Given the close proximity to the building and the extremely dry conditions at the time, the consequences of this person’s actions could have been disastrous.”

If you believe you can identify the suspect in this investigation, or have information that may assist police, please contact Constable Richard Lausman of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at (250) 545-7171.

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