The Civil Guard has arrested seven Spanish children, all residents of Callosa de Segura, for setting a series of fires on street furniture on 31 October, the night of Halloween, last year. They continued with their exploits, committing a further number of arson attacks, for approximately another 6 weeks.
In total, 19 wasted containers destroyed together with a car and an abandoned house. Six of those arrested were known to the police while one of them, just 13-years of age, has no previous criminal record.
The six known children have already been made available to the Office of the Children’s Prosecutor of Alicante.
The first attack took place on the afternoon of 31 October 31 last year when, in what appeared to be an organised operation, a number of intentional arson attacks were committed to containers and paper bins situated in various streets and parks around the town.
The police and emergency services were called to attend to the incidents throughout the afternoon and night.
The fires not only affected containers and bins, but one also spread to a vehicle parked nearby as well as to an electrical transformer and an abandoned house. The car was completely destroyed. Similar attacks continued in the following days, until 9 December with the damage finally exceeding 20,000 euros.
As a result of the numerous inquiries carried out by the local police and the Civil Guard the perpetrators were eventually identified.
The seven detained are all of Spanish nationality and all of them are minors, five boys aged 14, 15 and 16 and a 16 year old girl. The seventh child identified with the gang, has no criminal liability, for and it just 13 years of age.
The investigation has shown that the youths set fire to the containers for their entertainment, using firelighters impregnated with petrol.
They have already all been made available to the Office of the Children’s Prosecutor of Alicante, after which all were released with charges pending.
