A 20-year-old is in custody after police released CCTV of a man they believed could assist their investigation.
A 20-year-old is in custody after police released CCTV of a man they believed could assist their investigation.
By Jessica McSweeney and Amber Schultz
Updated March 21, 2025 — 1.21pmfirst published at 7.09am
A man has been arrested following a public appeal for information into a series of mysterious, random blazes lit around Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Just after 3am on Tuesday, March 18, locals on Reddy Street in Edgecliff woke to a car bursting into flames.
Police and firefighters arrived to find a Mitsubishi SUV ablaze. The fire was extinguished, but the car was destroyed.
Just 10 minutes later police located a burnt chair at the intersection of Glenmore Road and Cascade Street in Paddington.
Police believe the fires may be linked to another blaze in September 2024, when a rubbish bin was set alight on Jersey Road – also in Paddington.
A 20-year-old man was arrested at Waverley Police Station on Friday afternoon. It came just hours after police released vision of a man caught on CCTV near the fires who they wished to speak to.
Crime manager at Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command, Detective Inspector Adam Solah, said the fires were not believed to be “sinister” in motive. They are also not believed to be linked to a spate of firebombing and antisemitic graffiti now suspected to be a “con job” fabricated by organised criminals.
“The attacks appeared to be random,” he said.
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The man, who appears to be Caucasian, about 180 centimetres tall, of medium build and with neck-length black hair, was captured on CCTV in September last year looking into some bins that would later be set on fire.
He was also seen walking around Reddy Street in Edgecliff just before the car was found on fire.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Jessica McSweeney is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter or email.
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