A suspect has been arrested and remanded in custody after three police cars were set on fire near the central police station in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, the Brussels public prosecutor's office confirmed on Wednesday.
According to the prosecutor’s office, a magistrate has been assigned to the case. The suspect has been charged with deliberate arson of movable property at night and placed under an arrest warrant.
The incident took place near the Ixelles police station in the early hours of Monday morning. A nearby police patrol quickly spotted the fires and intervened.
Fire brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw said that officers managed to bring the flames under control using fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived at the scene. No injuries were reported.
On Monday, the Brussels prosecutor's office opened an investigation into the suspected arson, involving the federal judicial police laboratory and a fire expert to conduct forensic examinations at the site.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to determine the precise circumstances surrounding the incident.
