Abbotsford police are recommending charges of arson after a 34-year-old man allegedly torched his younger brother's motor home in a dispute. The younger brother, 31, is in hospital with serious but non-life threatening burns.
Photograph by: submitted , for the TIMES
An Abbotsford man has been charged with arson and aggravated assault after allegedly torching his brother's motor home after a fight on Wednesday night.
James Ashby, 34, was charged in Abbotsford provincial court on Thursday
after his younger brother was sent hospital with serious burns following a dispute the evening before.
Emergency services had numerous 911 calls at 7:25 p.m. Wednesday about a fire in the 27000 block of Myrtle Avenue, said Const. Ian MacDonald.
Police, fire and paramedics arrived on scene to find Ashby's 31-year-old brother injured from the blaze.
Witnesses reported that moments before police arrived, Ashby had fled the area in a vehicle.
APD traced the suspect to Mission and, with the help of the RCMP, arrested Ashby.
"We believe an accelerant made contact with a heater and sparked a flame," said MacDonald.
"We're pretty sure the 34-year-old brother caused the fire but we're less certain about what his intention was."
The younger brother was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries but the motor home was destroyed in the fire.
The victim is in a lot of pain but is telling investigators the dispute is a "family matter" rather than a police incident, said MacDonald.
Ashby is in custody and is next scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 13.
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