Police are investigating a tire-slashing spree at Burnaby Hospital days before an arsonist set fire to part of the north wing of the health-care facility last month.
Police were called to the hospital just after 1 a.m. on Nov. 8 after hospital security discovered tires had been slashed on four vehicles in the underground B parking lot.
The damage had been done sometime between 7:30 and 11 p.m. the night before, according to police.
Several of the vehicles belonged to hospital staff, police said.
“Burnaby RCMP serious crimes section is investigating this incident to determine whether this is related to the hospital arson,” said Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Brett Cunningham in an emailed statement. “At this time, no evidence has been gathered to suggest they are related.”
Police are now asking any staff who were working at the hospital on Nov. 8 and may have seen anyone or anything suspicious or unusual to come forward.
Burnaby RCMP announced Thursday that the Nov. 15 fire at the hospital – which did extensive damage to the Cascade building and worsened an active COVID outbreak at the hospital as patients were evacuated into other parts of the facility – had been deliberately set.
The fire was started on the Cascade building’s second floor, which houses the hospital’s inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance use services.
Burnaby RCMP has set up a dedicated tip line (604-646-9522) and email ([email protected]) to gather leads during the ongoing arson investigation.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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