BC teens arrested in connection to series of 11 Little Library fires

After weeks of investigation, two teens were arrested this week in connection to a series of fires that torched 11 Little Libraries in Coquitlam.

The 19-year-old and 17-year-old, both from Port Coquitlam, were arrested and later released with an expectation to appear in court on Oct. 10, 2019.

Both teens face a charge of arson causing damage to property.

The first of the 11 first was started on March 20, 2019 and they continued until May 18, 2019.

“The community told us that these 11 fires were a serious concern so we assigned Coquitlam RCMP’s arson unit to the case,” explained Cpl. Michael McLaughlin.

“We’ve used a lot of resources including surveillance, search warrants, production orders, and cooperation from our city partners at both Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.”

McLaughlin said tips from the public helped them track down the suspects and one final tip put the investigation over the top, leading to the arrests and charges.

Little Libraries are community book exchange boxes that have become quite popular over recent years.

According to McLaughlin, many of the 11 that went up in flames were located near homes and green space and the damage could have been much worse if not for quick action from fire crews.