Vancouver synagogue entrance fire: police release video of suspect

Vancouver police have released video showing a man suspected of setting fire to the entrance to the Schara Tzedeck Synagogue in May.

One of the security cameras films a man wearing a dark jacket, a light cap and a medical mask. He is seen climbing the steps to the entrance of the synagogue, located on Oak Street, in Vancouver, on May 30, at 9:41 p.m.

The man is holding a transparent bottle containing a liquid, of which he unscrews the cap before disappearing from the field of the surveillance camera.

A few moments later, we see a flash of light and the video shows the man quickly descending the stairs of the synagogue to leave the premises.

A second surveillance camera filming the main entrance from a different angle shows the start of the fire as the man walks away.

Search for information

The police statement said investigators are seeking to speak with anyone who may recognize the suspect in the video, as well as the driver of a tan or silver minivan who was seen in the area at the time of the fire.

Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt said people were inside the synagogue the night of the fire when they heard a detonation outside.

According to him, a passerby alerted them that their building was on fire, and a worshiper put out the flames with his jacket.

The Schara Tzedeck Synagogue is the oldest and largest Orthodox synagogue in Greater Vancouver, according to the Jewish Federation.

With information from The Canadian Press