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Delta man pleads guilty to 2020 Tsawwassen arson

Daniel Robert Hacking, 31, plead guilty to setting fire that razed a commercial building at 5405 12th Ave.
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A commercial building at 5405 12th Ave. in Tsawwassen was gutted by fire in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2020. (Delta Police Department photo)

A Delta man has pleaded guilty to arson in relation to a fire that destroyed several Tsawwassen businesses.

On Nov. 24, 31-year-old Daniel Robert Hacking plead guilty to one charge of arson damaging property stemming from an investigation into an early morning blaze on Jan. 1, 2020 that destroyed a commercial building at 5405 12th Avenue.

The blaze was extensive and could not be fully extinguished until the next day, causing road closures in the area and the evacuation of nearby homes as firefighters fought back the flames. There were no injuries, however the building — which housed two dental clinics and a music school — was a total loss, with damages valued at over $3 million.

READ MORE: Delta man charged with arson in relation to New Year’s Day fire in Tsawwassen (July 8, 2020)

The DPD’s investigation included a “significant canvass” for video and witnesses and relied on support from a number of the department’s sections, including patrol, the crime reduction unit, the patrol support team and major crime.

“Our investigators were persistent in their collection of evidence over an investigation that spanned several months. They managed to retrieve key information from a digital video recorder fully submerged in water in the burned structure with the assistance of Delta Fire Department and Delta Engineering Services,” Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu, who is in charge of operations for the Delta Police Department, said in a press release.

On June 26, 2020, Hacking was charged with one count of breaking and entering to commit an indictable offence and one count of arson damaging property in relation to the incident. The break-and-enter charge was stayed by the Crown after Hacking plead guilty to arson.

SEE ALSO: Police release video of suspect in North Delta arson (Oct. 7, 2021)



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James Smith

About the Author: James Smith

James Smith is the founding editor of the North Delta Reporter.
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