A man in his 60s who was caught by police on suspicion of arson in a forest fire in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang, turned out to be the culprit who had set fires for 17 years on Bongdae Mountain in Dong-gu, Ulsan.
According to the Criminal Mobile Unit of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency on the 16th, suspect A was identified as the so-called "Ulsan Bongdae Mountain fire squirrel," who set fires on mountains in the Ulsan area about 90 times over 17 years.
A is suspected of setting a fire on the mid-slope of a low mountain in Macheon-myeon, Hamyang, on the 21st, recorded as the first major forest fire of the year. From the pre-booking investigative stage, police placed A as a suspect and examined the alibi and more.
However, A kept denying the allegations and recently confessed to the crime, according to reports. The specific motive is unknown. A is said to have moved to Hamyang County several years ago.
It was confirmed that from 1994 to 2011, over 17 years, A committed a series of 96 arsons in the area around Bongdae Mountain in Dongbu-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan.
Police even formed a dedicated investigation team and focused on apprehending the arsonist, but A evaded the investigative net and continued the crimes, earning the nickname Bongdae Mountain fire squirrel.
Whether A will be arrested is to be decided through a pretrial detention hearing (substantive warrant review) for A held that afternoon at the Changwon District Court.