Police seek 21-year-old in Hillhurst arson, extortion

Calgary police are looking for a 21-year-old man who they say is wanted for trying to burn down a home and extort people who live in the area. CBC News has blurred the numbers identifying the address of the home. (James Young/CBC - image credit)
Calgary police are looking for a 21-year-old man who they say is wanted for trying to burn down a home and extort people who live in the area. CBC News has blurred the numbers identifying the address of the home. (James Young/CBC - image credit)

Calgary police are looking for a man in connection with an arson that happened earlier this month in the northwest community of Hillhurst.

The 21-year-old is wanted for extortion, causing damage by fire to a dwelling and possession of an incendiary material to commit arson.

Investigators believe he tried to burn down a house last week in an attempt to extort bitcoin from residents in the area.

He is described as approximately 6' tall, weighing 175 lbs, with a medium build, brown hair and blue eyes.

Investigators said they were called to a home in the 1700 block of Eighth Avenue N.W. around 3:10 a.m. on Nov. 19, for reports of a fire.

There were no injuries reported and damage to the home was minor. However, investigators said the fire was intentionally set.

Officers said several residents who live nearby came forward to report they received threatening letters demanding bitcoin transfers. The letters had been left on their front steps.

A letter left on a doorstep in northwest Calgary. CBC News has blurred the bitcoin address added to the note, as well as the websites the author suggested as options for purchasing cryptocurrency.
A letter left on a doorstep in northwest Calgary. CBC News has blurred the bitcoin address added to the note, as well as the websites the author suggested as options for purchasing cryptocurrency.

A letter left on a doorstep in northwest Calgary. CBC News has blurred the bitcoin address added to the note, as well as the websites the author suggested as options for purchasing cryptocurrency. (Submitted by Scott Barker)

The Calgary Police Service held a news conference on Nov. 21 to provide more details about its investigation, saying at the time they believed the home was targeted at random.

Officers noted a similar arson happened in Edmonton in recent months and previously said they were in contact with Edmonton police about the investigation.

The fire in Edmonton's Cloverdale neighbourhood was also investigated as an arson, with neighbours receiving notes telling them to pay money to a cryptocurrency address.