On October 7, 2022, at approximately 6:00 a.m., patrolling Winnipeg Police Service officers observed a garage structure engulfed in flames in the 1600 block of William Avenue West.
Officers from the Central District safely evacuated the occupants of the primary residence and, through their investigation, obtained a description of a male suspect. Soon thereafter, officers located the male suspect nearby, who had suffered first and second-degree burns to his upper body. The suspect was transported to hospital in critical condition and later upgraded to stable. He was placed under arrest without incident.
The Major Crimes Unit assumed the investigation and learned that at approximately 2:45 a.m., the suspect attended to the first block of Keewatin Street and broke into a vehicle that he subsequently set on fire, causing extensive damage.
The suspect then attended to a residential garage in the 1600 block of William Avenue West, where he set the structure on fire, causing extensive damage and serious injuries to himself in the process. Damage was also sustained to a neighbouring garage structure.
The suspect attended to the primary residence to alert the occupants of the fire and requested entry which was denied. The suspect pushed past the residents, took off his clothes, and stole a blanket before fleeing the residence on foot.
Jonathan Clifford SEEPISH, 35, of Winnipeg, was charged with the following offences:
- Arson Causing Damage to Property x 2
- Break, Enter & Theft - Dwelling House
He was detained in custody.