Man Sets Multiple Fires in Beit She'an After Business Sale Refusal

A 52-year-old resident of Beit She'an launched a dangerous arson spree across the city on the night of June 12, following a local business owner's refusal to sell him the establishment. According to the indictment filed by the Northern District Prosecutor's Office, the suspect deliberately set fires at two separate businesses and attempted to ignite a vehicle in a residential building's parking lot. The police investigation revealed that the arson was a calculated act of revenge sparked by the business sale refusal, which escalated into direct threats and a planned destructive rampage that could have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities.

The events unfolded in the early hours of June 12, when multiple emergency calls reported fires at commercial properties and a suspicious individual trying to set a car ablaze. Officers from the Northern District quickly identified a pattern and gathered evidence, leading to the suspect's arrest the same day. Surveillance footage released by the police shows the suspect calmly pushing a supermarket cart filled with plastic bottles of flammable liquid, pouring the accelerant at a building corner, and igniting a large cardboard box, causing flames to threaten the entire structure. Another video captures him setting fire to an outdoor kitchen or barbecue area on a synthetic grass terrace before fleeing the scene.

Authorities emphasized the severity of arson offenses due to the uncontrollable nature of fire and the high risk of property damage and harm to innocent people. Following the completion of the evidentiary process, the Northern District Prosecutor's Office submitted the indictment and requested to extend the suspect's detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings to prevent further danger to the public.