Catania Police Arrest 59-Year-Old After Attempted Car Arson

Police officers of the State Police in Catania arrested a 59‑year‑old man who tried to set fire to a neighbour’s car on Viale Moncada during the night of 18 July 2026. The suspect sprayed the vehicle with gasoline from a plastic bottle and attempted to ignite it with a lighter. Two officers observing the act approached cautiously and, when the man lit the fuel, used soil from nearby flowerbeds to smother the flames, preventing the fire from spreading to other parked cars.

The man, already known to law‑enforcement for prior offences against property and persons, was taken to the Questura for identification and investigation. Initial inquiries suggest the motive was a personal dispute stemming from a former romantic relationship with the car’s owner. He is being held in police custody pending trial on charges of intentional arson, with the presumption of innocence until a verdict is reached.