Thursday, May 28, 2026
ADVT 
National

Vancouver Police release video showing suspect in synagogue arson

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 26 Jun, 2024 11:38 AM
  • Vancouver Police release video showing suspect in synagogue arson

Police in Vancouver have released video showing a man who is believed to have set fire to the front entrance of a synagogue last month in the hope that someone may recognize the suspect. 

The security video shows a man wearing a dark jacket, light ball cap and a medical face mask approaching the front steps of the Schara Tzedeck synagogue on Vancouver's Oak Street on May 30 with a time stamp of 9:41 p.m. 

The man is carrying a clear bottle with liquid inside, and he unscrews the cap before disappearing from the frame. 

Less than a minute later, there is a bright flash and the video shows the man walking quickly down the synagogue stairs and onto the street.

A second video shows the front entrance from a different angle as orange flames spark and then flare up as the man walks away.

The police statement says investigators are looking to speak with anyone who might recognize the suspect in the video, as well as the driver of a beige or silver minivan that was seen in the area at the time of the fire.

Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt has said people were inside the synagogue after services that same night, when they heard a "bang" outside.

But he said it was a passerby who alerted them that their building was on fire, before a member of the congregation put out the flames with his jacket.

MORE National ARTICLES

Hot weekend weather sets record

Hot weekend weather sets record
The warm temperatures come a day after records were broken on Friday in cities like Victoria and Abbotsford. Temperatures Sunday afternoon have fallen below 28 degrees, with rain in the forecast Monday for several interior cities.

Hot weekend weather sets record

Body found in Vancouver blaze

Body found in Vancouver blaze
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services say they responded to a fire Saturday at 9:30 p-m on Dunlevy Avenue, in the back of the Asian Canadian Benevolent Association building. Police say they found the body of a 50-year-old man in the electrical room in the parking lot, where the fire is believed to have started accidentally.

Body found in Vancouver blaze

Flood watches around BC prompt evacuation orders

Flood watches around BC prompt evacuation orders
The Village of Cache Creek, nearly 350 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, has issued an evacuation order for a single property along the Trans Canada Highway due to an “existing or imminent” threat of flooding.

Flood watches around BC prompt evacuation orders

Avian flu at a poultry farm in BC

Avian flu at a poultry farm in BC
The agency says it will now set up additional primary control zones as needed around the infected zone, currently centred around the communities of Yarrow and Barrowtown 90 kilometres east of Vancouver. Since an outbreak began in 2022, H-5-N-1 has forced farms in B-C and across Canada to cull millions of birds when an infection is found.

Avian flu at a poultry farm in BC

Wildfires in BC put communities on alert

Wildfires in BC put communities on alert
The B-C Wildfire Service says the Dripping Water wildfire discovered on Thursday 600 kilometres north of Vancouver has now reached over 200 hectares. Meanwhile, the Lost Valley Road wildfire over 400 kilometres northeast of Vancouver discovered on Saturday has now reached over 100 hectares.  

Wildfires in BC put communities on alert

Abbotsford man charged for assaulting Uber Driver

Abbotsford man charged for assaulting Uber Driver
The Abbotsford Police Department says the Uber driver was injured and extremely shaken during an attack on April 18. Police say the investigation involved help from Uber and other law enforcement partners to identify a suspect.

Abbotsford man charged for assaulting Uber Driver