Man charged with making death threats, harassment in Edmonton arson spree
Alleged crimes involved vehicle arsons, threatening notes, online harassment
A 25-year-old man has been charged in connection with a series of arsons in south Edmonton that saw vehicles set on fire and a string of victims facing death threats.
Over a period of about three months, between Feb. 29, 2024, and May 23, 2025, police were called to investigate eight incidents involving vehicle arsons, threatening notes and online harassment.
The man was arrested on June 4, but Edmonton police only announced the charges Thursday.
The accused faces 13 charges of uttering threats to cause death, five counts of criminal harassment, four counts of arson, along with disguise with intent charges, police said.
Most of the incidents happened early in the morning at homes in the neighbourhoods of Silver Berry, Pollard Meadows, Laurel, Wildrose and Summerside, police said.
The incidents appear to be targeted. The accused and his alleged victims were known to one another, police said.
According to court documents, the man is alleged to have threatened at least 13 victims, including women, men and children across the Edmonton region.
According to the charges, many of the victims faced repeated harassment, with some facing multiple death threats against them or their families over a matter of weeks.
The charges show that the incidents escalated in frequency.
On April 3, a car was set on fire. It happened again on April 30, and on Nov. 3. On May 9, a truck and a minivan were both set ablaze, all while threats to people and their possessions continued, court documents show.
The investigation is ongoing, but police do not believe the crimes are connected to previous arson investigations, including Project Gaslight — a string of arson extortion crimes targeting home builders in Edmonton's South Asian community.
Police investigated 40 related incidents related to Project Gaslight.
Maninder Singh Dhaliwal is the accused mastermind of those extortion cases and an extradition application was issued by Edmonton police last year, after he was apprehended in the United Arab Emirates on separate charges.
