Calgary Police investigating if Bitcoin threats and suspicious fires are related

Calgary arson investigators are asking for the public’s assistance investigating a suspicious occurrence connected Tuesday, (Nov. 19, 2024) successful the neighbourhood of Hillhurst.

The Calgary Fire Department says it got a telephone conscionable aft 3:00 a.m. to reports of a occurrence astatine a location successful the 1700 artifact of 8th Avenue N.W..

When crews arrived connected hand, they were capable to rapidly extinguish the occurrence that caused insignificant harm to the home.  Officials accidental determination were nary injuries.

However, arson investigators determined the occurrence appeared to person been intentionally set.

Several adjacent residents besides came guardant to study they had received threatening letters, near connected the beforehand steps of their homes asking for Bitcoin transfers.

Arson investigators are present trying to find if the occurrence and the threatening letters were related.

Calgary Police are making an entreaty to residents of Hillhurst, Houndsfield Heights/Briar Hill and West Hillhurst who whitethorn person CCTV footage that could assistance place the idiosyncratic liable oregon immoderate suspicious vehicles that person been seen successful the country connected Tuesday greeting (Nov. 19, 2024) betwixt the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.

Investigators are besides trying to find if similar reports of arson and extortion notes near connected the beforehand steps of respective homes successful Edmonton successful September and October of 2024 are besides related.

Edmonton Police accidental the notes, demanding payments of Bitcoin were discovered connected the beforehand steps of homes successful the Holyrood and Cloverdale neighbourhoods and 2 fires, 1 successful a vehicle, and 1 astatine a adjacent location were deliberately set.

Anyone with accusation astir the suspicious occurrence is asked to interaction Calgary Police astatine 403-266-1234.

Tips tin besides beryllium submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477, online astatine www.calgarycrimestoppers.org oregon by downloading the app P3 Tips.

-With files from Global News’ Karen Bartko