Teen pleads guilty to arson, break-and-enter in fire that killed dog
A teenaged boy has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a North Kamloops arson that killed a family pet.
The 15-year-old, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, entered guilty pleas to two charges — arson and break-and-enter — in Kamloops provincial court this afternoon (May 10).
On April 12, emergency crews were called to a home in the 600-block of Clearwater Avenue on the North Shore for a reported fire in a duplex.
The blaze was contained to one room in the home's basement.
No people were home at the time, but a family dog died in the fire.
Kamloops RCMP arrested the 15-year-old five days later and he has been in custody since.
At the time of the arrest, police would not comment on the crime other than to say a suspect was in custody — someone they believed to be "a risk to the public."
The circumstances of the offence have yet to be made public.
In court today, Kamloops provincial court judge Stephen Harrison ordered the teen to undergo a psychiatric assessment prior to sentencing.
That process is expected to take six weeks.
Lawyers will meet later this month to fix a date for a sentencing hearing, which is expected to take place late next month.
The blaze was one of more than 50 suspicious fires in Kamloops in the last year. Police would not comment on whether they believe the 15-year-old is responsible for any other arsons.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.