Iraqi shatters the facade of a sports club and attempts to set it on fire in Vienna
The Donau City area in Vienna witnessed a serious incident late on Friday night, where a 24-year-old man smashed the glass front of a fitness club, prompting police and the special intervention unit WEGA to intervene.
According to the information received, the suspect smashed several glass panels at the entrance of the fitness center using a hammer, and also delivered strong kicks to the facade. It was later revealed that he was carrying a flammable substance, as he poured gasoline inside the place after breaking the glass, then set fire to the interior.
The security personnel on site managed to extinguish the fire quickly, and they succeeded in documenting the incident by taking pictures of the suspect before he fled to an unknown location.
The preliminary investigations conducted by the police officers from the Vagramer Strasse police station revealed that the suspect is of Iraqi nationality and is 24 years old, and he is a member of the same sports club. According to the information, he had previously caused several police interventions at the station due to financial disputes.
After intensive search operations during the same night, the police managed to locate him in a nearby hotel. Based on an arrest warrant, the police carried out an arrest operation with the assistance of the WEGA unit, where he was apprehended around six in the morning inside the hotel.
During the arrest operation, the tool of the crime, which is the hammer used in the vandalism, was seized and confiscated. The value of the material damages caused to the place has not yet been determined.
By order of the public prosecutor's office in Vienna, the suspect was transferred to a correctional facility and was officially informed of the charge of suspected arson and causing serious material damage.