Police have released CCTV footage of a man suspected of deliberately setting fire to a house in Cobden, Victoria, while a father and his two children were inside.
The blaze broke out at a property on Mitchell Street at about 6.15am on 5 February. Investigators allege the man used an accelerant at the front of the home before the flames spread across the building.
The father was preparing for work with his five-year-old and 16-year-old children when he heard a loud “whoosh” as the fire entered the house. He attempted to tackle the blaze and contacted emergency services.
All three escaped without injury before firefighters extinguished the fire.
The suspect is shown wearing a blue hooded jacket, with the hood pulled up, black trousers and trainers. His face was covered.
Detectives from the Warrnambool Crime Investigation Unit believe the attack was targeted, although the motive remains unclear.
Police had previously released images of a silver Mazda 3, which was seen travelling towards Camperdown at speed about five minutes after the fire. The vehicle had a sunshade on its rear-left window and damage to its bumper.
Detective Sergeant Andrew Raven said the incident could have had fatal consequences.
“This was a deliberate and incredibly reckless act,” Sergeant Raven said. “A father and his two children were inside the home at the time, and we are extremely fortunate that all three were able to escape without injury.
“The consequences could have been devastating, particularly given the children could have been asleep when the fire was lit.”
Officers said they had followed several lines of inquiry over the past seven months and were appealing for information about the suspect or the fire.
“Today we are releasing footage of a suspect and we’re asking people to please come forward if they have any information about the fire or the man seen in the video,” Sergeant Raven said.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
