Police seek suspect after 2 trees set on fire in Richmond Hill

York Regional Police have released security video of a suspect after two separate incidents where trees were set on fire in Richmond Hill.

Emergency crews were called to the Kellog Crescent and Verdi Road area at around 11:09 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 for reports of tree on fire close to a home.

The flames were quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported.

When investigators obtained video surveillance, it showed a dark-coloured SUV stopping on the street and a suspect exiting the vehicle. He walks up to the tree, ignites it and flees in the SUV.

The next morning at around 9:52 a.m. police were called again by a homeowner in the same area who noticed signs of a tree on his property being burned.

Investigators again secured video surveillance that showed the same suspect walking between two homes and lighting a tree on fire on May 30, at around 11:08 p.m.

“The suspect walks back to his vehicle and flees the scene,” a police release explains. “There was no damage to property and the fire went out on its own after approximately 20 seconds.”

The suspect is around five foot eleven and 180 pounds with a full beard. He was wearing light-coloured trackpants, a dark-coloured jacket, light-coloured sweater, a baseball hat and white sneakers.