The key facts

  • A 41-year-old resident of the village of Yuryevo, Pitelino District of Ryazan Region, has been detained
  • The porch of the House of Culture was doused with gasoline and set on fire; the building itself was not damaged
  • A case has been opened under Part 2 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code, carrying up to seven years in prison

Arson in the village of Yuryevo

In the village of Yuryevo, in the Pitelino District of Ryazan Region, a 41-year-old man suspected of setting fire to the porch of the local House of Culture has been detained. This was reported by the Interior Ministry Directorate for Ryazan Region, as cited by Gazeta.Ru.

How the fire started

The fire broke out in the evening, when the building was closed and there were no people inside. Experts determined that the porch had been doused with gasoline and set on fire; the building itself, according to police, was not damaged. Villagers said they had seen the suspect near the House of Culture before and after the fire — this helped locate and detain him.

The investigation's version and possible punishment

According to preliminary data, the villager had been drinking alcohol that evening and, out of hooligan motives, decided to set the building on fire: at home he poured gasoline into a bottle, doused the porch, brought a match to the steps and fled. A criminal case has been opened under Part 2 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism); the accused faces up to seven years in prison.