Police have made an arrest in the case where an agitated man was caught on tape setting fire to a TTC bus -- something made easier by the fact they already had him in custody on another matter.
The first, most spectacular incident occurred early Wednesday on a bus working Yonge Street.
Police said the incident began when a male and female passenger got into a dispute at a stop close to Bloor Street, with the woman allegedly being assaulted.
The male boarded the bus. The woman and others who witnessed the incident approached him on the bus.
A security camera on the bus captured the man spraying an accelerant on the back seats, which he then ignited. No people were injured, but the fire destroyed the bus.
Witnesses saw the man run southbound on Yonge Street. He hopped into a Beck taxi cab at Gloucester Street.
However, the suspect wasn't done with anti-social behaviour.
"He was in an altercation with a victim in an attempt to break into that person's vehicle," Det. Rob Ermacora of 53 Division, where the bus attack took place.
Police in the west end arrested him and held him in custody.
Video from a TTC security camera was shown Wednesday night on CTV Toronto. "As a result of that, we received information from a police officer and through a citizen and a Crime Stoppers tip," Ermacora said.
The TTC footage played "an integral role" in helping identify the suspect, he said.
Thursday, police announced that Steven Edwards, 28, of Toronto has been charged with the following offences:
- assault
- arson, damage to property
- arson, disregard for human life
- failure to comply with a recognizance
- common nuisance
- mischief, interfering with property
- five counts of possession of weapons dangerous to the public peace
He had scheduled to make a court appearance Thursday afternoon.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin
