A woman has pleaded guilty in connection with a series of fires targeting bushes, hedges and garbage cans in Richmond residential areas.
Megan Wells pleaded guilty on May 6 to one count of arson damaging property at Richmond Provincial Court.
In a media release issued June 4, Richmond RCMP said it looked into a series of 22 arsons that took place throughout the city between January and August 2020. The primary targets were bushes, hedges and garbage cans in residential areas.
A task force was set up "due to the apparent serial nature of the arsons" and found more fires linked to the serial arsonist, said Cpl. Adriana O'Malley, Richmond RCMP spokesperson.
After working with Richmond Fire Rescue fire investigators and seeking public assistance to help identify the suspect, police established a person of interest in late 2020. Wells was arrested on July 14, 2021.
"These arsons garnered significant attention and concern within our community partially due to heightened awareness and concerns around wildfires in the province," said Chief Supt. Dave Chauhan, Officer-in-Charge of Richmond RCMP.
"Fortunately, each of the fires was extinguished quickly; however, the potential risk posed to our community was significant."
According to court records, a stay of proceedings has been ordered for the case and Wells is not scheduled for sentencing.
Police thank the community for their cooperation throughout the investigation and encourages anyone with information about suspicious activities to contact police immediately.
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