Abbotsford police say they have made arrests in an alleged arson at the Fruiticana Grocery Store on Bourquin Crescent in December.
The Abbotsford Police Department’s major crime unit arrested 43-year-old Scott Kenneth Campbell and Stephen David Turner, 44, and arson charges have been laid, according to a police news release, which states that neither man is from Abbotsford.
“The Abbotsford Police Department is committed to investigating offences which impact public safety and investigators are looking forward to advancing this file through the courts,” said Inspector Tom Chesley, officer in charge of the APD criminal investigation branch in a statement.
“Investigators would like to thank everyone who called in their observations and provided assistance on scene.”
Emergency crews were called to the 2700 block of Bourquin Crescent at around 4:15 a.m. on Dec. 15, 2017, where a witness had spotted flames and smoke coming from Fruiticana, which had recently been renovated.
Crews battled the blaze, which had consumed a portion of the building and caused “substantial smoke and water damage to the structure,” according to a police release at the time of the fire.
Shortly before, five individuals, including at least one woman, had been seen throwing rocks at the windows of the business.
Police later released information, on Dec. 19, releasing an image of a vehicle that was suspected to be involved with the fire, captured by area video surveillance.
Campbell and Turner have both made appearances in court, with their next court dates set for Oct. 15.
Campbell has allegations of counterfeit against him, scheduled for trial in November, while Turner has a past conviction of robbery using an imitation firearm from a January 2013 incident in Chilliwack and one past conviction of theft under $5,000.