Hilltown Township Police Department has announced the arrest of a 30-year-old Philadelphia man in connection with the arson of a vehicle belonging to a local first responder.
Aziz Walker, 30, has been charged with one felony count of arson – reckless burning or exploding, in connection with the incident. Court records indicate that police took Walker into custody on June 26, but the arrest was not announced until July 25.
According to the release, police and members of the Silverdale Fire Company were dispatched to the 2100 block of Mulberry Court on June 3 at 12:05 a.m. for a report of a vehicle fire. Upon arrival, police were able to quickly extinguish the fire prior to the arrival of the fire company, and the initial investigation revealed that it appeared as though the fire was intentionally set, the report states.
Around the same time, police stopped a suspicious subject in the area — identified as Walker — though he was released from the scene pending further investigation, police said.
Due to the timing of the incident in proximity to protests arising from the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis, rumors quickly spread that the owner of the vehicle was an off-duty Philadelphia Police officer who was followed home from work. A second rumor stated that the vehicle was targeted because it displayed a “thin blue line” flag, which prompted Hilltown Township Police Chief Christopher Engelhart to release a public statement addressing the rumors.
“The truth is that the Hilltown Township Police Department is investigating a vehicle arson and suspicious person incident that occurred in the Orchard Hill development, which are believed to be connected,” said Engelhart, in a statement provided on June 3 . “We are further investigating whether the vehicle was specifically targeted due to the owner being a first responder; however, it was not owned by a police officer.”
Further investigation by police determined that Walker was responsible for the fire, the release states. Investigators added that the victim was not Walker’s intended target, meaning they were not targeted because they were a first responder, according to the release.
On June 26, Walker was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Lisa Gaier, who set bail at 10% of $10,000 cash. Court records indicate that Walker posted bail the same day, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage.
Hilltown Township Police were assisted in their investigation by members of the Bucks County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Philadelphia Police Warrant Unit.
(All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.)
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