On Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, police arrested and charged Harrison Taron, 39, with arson in relation to a fire that took place at a business in the area of 96 Street and 82 Avenue on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Taron is also facing an additional arson charge related to a fire set at a west Edmonton school (111 Avenue and 135 Street) the same month.
At this time, investigators believe Taron is responsible for one of the 24 arsons that occurred in Allendale, Belgravia, Ritchie, King Edward Park, Holyrood and Strathearn this year. Police continue to actively investigate the remaining fires in the series to identify additional persons of interest.
“We’re thankful for the public’s ongoing assistance with this investigation and are pleased to report we’ve made an arrest,” says Staff Sergeant Michael Dreilich with the EPS Investigative Response Team (IRT). “Patrols throughout the affected communities are expected to continue and anyone observing suspicious activity is asked to contact police as soon as possible.”
As previously reported, there are no connections to Project Gaslight at this time. Investigators also do not believe that these events are related to Bitcoin extortions.
Anyone with video footage or other information regarding arsons in this series are asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.