A Brampton man has been charged with arson in the wake of Tuesday’s fire that destroyed a landmark downtown building.
On Wednesday night, Orillia OPP arrested 35-year-old Brandon Costa after matching him with the description of the arson suspect.
“(Costa) was identified through evidence received from local businesses and members of the community,” said Orillia OPP Const. Derek Tilley. “The male was located by police shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, where he was arrested and charged with arson.”
Costa was held in police custody Wednesday night, but Tilley said he has since been released.
“The male was held by the Orillia OPP overnight to attend bail court today, where he was released with a promise to appear before the courts on Feb. 5,” he said.
Costa’s full charge is arson — disregard for human life, which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment, Tilley said. He said the arson charge “does imply there’s intent to light the fire.”
The fire caused an estimated $4 million in damages and devastated several businesses that were in the building at the corner of Mississaga and Peter streets. Nobody was injured in the blaze.
The building was declared a total loss. Today, a demolition crew is on scene removing parts of the building to allow firefighters to go in to douse some remaining hot spots. It’s expected the building will have to be demolished.
