Two restaurants owned by same group target of arsons, 18-year-old arrested

Two restaurants from the same owner were the target of arson attacks almost simultaneously early Friday morning — one in Boucherville and the other in Montreal’s Old Port.

Montreal police (SPVM) received a 911 call around 4 a.m. concerning a possible break-in and a fire at Flyjin restaurant-bar on Saint-Pierre Street near Saint-Paul Street in the Ville-Marie borough.

“When police arrived, they saw that there was a possible arson and the firefighters were already onsite in order to extinguish the flames,” said SPVM spokesperson, Manuel Couture.

“A police officer located some piece of clothing outside that was burned,” he added. “So they believe that it was an arson and that the suspect may have been injured.”

Shortly after, an 18-year-old man showed up to hospital with severe burns.

“He was placed under arrest concerning this incident,” said Couture. “We believe there might be more suspects in this event.”

A neighbouring café at the same address was targeted, but business registries show it is not owned by the same group as Flyjin. Police say the business was targeted “probably by mistake.”

The damage to the business is said to be major, with a source saying “it’s a total loss.”

The café posted to social media a photo of the damage from the inside.

The file has been transferred to the SPVM arson squad.

Arson in Boucherville

At around 3:40 a.m., Longueuil police (SPAL) officers were called to assist firefighters in responding to a fire breaking out at Madame Bovary restaurant on De Mortagne, in Boucherville.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the fire was intentional,” the SPAL explained in a Facebook post.

“A scene has been set up,” they added. “Our investigators and our forensic identification section are expected there.”

No injuries or arrests were reported in this case, and no fire spread to neighbouring businesses.

Shots fired at home of restaurants’ owner

According to Quebec’s business registry, Madame Bovary and Flyjin belong to the same owner, as does the Fitzroy bar on Mont-Royal Ave. East in the Plateau — which was the target of gunfire on May 2 where about 20 customers were inside. No one was injured.

The targets went further than just business and became personal, as the Nuns’ Island home of one of the restaurant group’s administrators has been shot at twice in less than a month.

Early Thursday morning, the day before the arsons, shots were fired at the home — and the same address was also targeted late in the evening of May 4.

During both those incidents, people were inside the home, but no one was injured and no arrests have been made so far.