A Sunday night fire inside a house in the 700 block of Westminster is deemed suspicious and being investigated by Penticton RCMP.
Around 9:45 p.m., Penticton Fire Department was called out to a blaze at the home on Westminster Avenue and Bassett Street. A couple ambulance and RCMP were also on scene.
According to neighbours, several people were seen fleeing the home. There is police tape around the home and an officer stationed at the home on Monday. The backyard contains numerous bike parts and other items.
Before the fire, some neighbours had complained about the alleged criminal element attached to that home and a supposed bike chop shop in the backyard.
“We are treating this fire as suspicious,”said Sgt. Scott Hanry, commander of the Penticton RCMP general investigative section. “Our officers will remain on scene while we conduct an investigation into the cause and origin of this fire.”
This same area of Westminster and Bassett was the location of a shooting April 11. Bullets hit an uninvolved vehicle.
A vehicle of interest was identified from doorbell camera video from the area of Westminster Avenue and Bassett Street.
There has been no new information from that shooting.
Anyone with information regarding this fire please contact the Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300.