Confession made – arrest: Firefighter (19) was the fire devil

First, the wooden shed of a former butcher’s shop in Feldkirchen an der Donau went up in flames on Saturday night. Just two days later, on Monday evening, the outbuilding of a farm in the neighboring municipality of Goldwörth burned down. Days earlier, a pile of wood had already been cremated there. There was great concern among the population that another series of fires could break out, similar to 2021.

High research pressure
The police investigation was immediately carried out with due diligence. Thanks to witness observations, detectives from the Upper Austrian Criminal Police were able to quickly narrow the circle of suspects.

Their investigation eventually focused on a young woman who had returned home after a long time and was already considered the main suspect in the series of fires in 2021. At that time, as reported, she got away extremely easily with distraction.

The 19-year-old, who was active in the fire brigade and is said to have trained children and young people, initially stubbornly denied any connection with the crime. She even reported one of the fires herself.

Investigators eventually managed to gather incriminating evidence against the young woman, who confessed on Wednesday evening.

However, the suspect was initially unable to demonstrate why she had committed the arson. She may have acted out of inner compulsion and was arrested because she was at risk of committing a crime. Their interrogation will continue today.