Police in Brampton, Ont. are investigating after a tow truck was set on fire early Tuesday, the fourth incident in a recent string of arsons targeting the industry.
Peel Regional Police said they arrived at the scene at Ascot Avenue near Balmoral Drive and Dixie Road at roughly 3 a.m. The Ontario Fire Marshall is investigating.
In addition, three tow trucks were set on fire in the Peel region within 30 minutes of each other around 1 a.m. on April 21.
Police believe all of the fires were intentional. No one was injured in the incidents and the investigations are continuing. They believe the fires were targeted, but have not found any connections between the attacks, nor have they released any information on potential suspects.
There have been at least 20 tow truck arsons in Peel since the start of this year.
In January, police believe a group of suspects intentionally set fire to 16 tow trucks at a Brampton auto yard on Rutherford Road.
In 2024, Peel police launched Project Outsource, a joint operation with police forces across the province to investigate and arrest organized crime and extortion related to the towing industry.
And as a result, in June last year, they announced $4.2-million in assets were seized, 17 arrests had been made and 97 charges were issued in relation to extortion and violence rooted in the industry.
The investigation found several suspects related to various towing companies had committed acts of fraud by using threats, violence, firearms and staging vehicle collisions to assert control over other towing businesses.