Bandidos member charged over Melton fire in Australia
In Melton, Australia, a 32-year-old member of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang has been charged in connection with a fire at a tobacco shop in which a 23-year-old man suffered severe burns. The victim remains in hospital in critical condition.
As ABC News Australia reports, police allege that the Delacombe resident was involved in a failed attempt to set fire to a tobacco shop in Melton on September 3. CCTV footage shows a pickup truck reversing into the building, after which two men emerge with containers resembling fuel cans. Shortly afterwards, both men were engulfed in flames.
Arrests after fire in Taylors Lakes
The 32-year-old man was arrested along with a 42-year-old Melton resident after a suspicious fire at a shop in Taylors Lakes. Emergency services were notified of a fire at a business on Melton Highway at about 4:25 a.m.; no one was inside.
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According to police, officers pursued the two men through Melbourne's western suburbs. They abandoned their vehicle in Brookfield and fled on foot, but were soon arrested. The 42-year-old man was interviewed and released pending summons.
Charges and further investigation
The 32-year-old man was charged with recklessly causing serious injury, aggravated burglary, criminal damage by fire, and reckless conduct endangering life. Detectives are also checking whether the fires in Melton and Taylors Lakes are linked to other similar incidents.
Inspector Chris Murray from the Arson and Explosives Squad said police are working to identify everyone involved in the Melton fire. According to him, if the man with severe burns dies, police intend to hold accountable those whom investigators believe planned the arson or assisted in carrying it out.
