Tattoo parlour fire: Police probe suspected arson at Smart Arts Tattoo
A tattoo parlour owners are counting the cost of what appears to be an arson attack as a witness has described seeing two men dressed in black with a homemade petrol bomb.
Hills Shire
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Young owners of tattoo parlour that was deliberately set on fire have told of their heartbreak after inspecting the damage.
Jayden Nightingale and Jihyuen ‘MJ’ Lee opened Smart Arts Tattoo on Windsor Road last December.
They were in tears after they received a phone call from a neighbour in the early hours of Tuesday morning to say the business was on fire.
“I was falling asleep and someone kept calling me,” Mr Nightingale said.
“We didn’t know what to expect. We were just scared. We worked so hard for this.”
Emergency services rushed to the Baulkham Hills business about 1.05am and began tackling the blaze.
Detectives from The Hills Police Area Command established a crime scene and are investigating the cause. It is being treated as suspicious.
Matthew Ardill, who lives next to the tattoo parlour, said he was woken by noises about 1am and saw two men dressed in black.
He said he saw one of the men climb up below the rear window of the business with what he alleges was a “homemade petrol bomb.”
He claimed that they broke into the back window before allegedly throwing the petrol bomb inside.
“He threw it into the building through the broken window and there was a flame. It was quite spectacular,” he said.
“It was a huge fireball.”
He said the men allegedly took off straight after.
Mr Ardill then quickly ran out and got his hose to put the fire out.
“It was quite toxic,” he said.
“The whole building was filled with toxic black smoke.”
Acting superintendent Jayne Doherty said the fire had been burning in the “bathroom at the rear of the property.”
She said the fire was being treated as suspicious because it did not appear to be through any electrical means.
She said officers have canvassed the area and spoken to a number of witnesses.
The fire was quickly put out thanks to the help of residents nearby who helped hose down the property before fire crews arrived.
“The community is well spirited and did respond to help put out the fire,” Supt Doherty said.
“This type of behaviour will not be tolerated. We will investigate and we will prosecute any person involved in setting fire to any properties.”
Police have appealed to anyone with CCTV and dashcam footage at the time of the event to contact police and crimestoppers.
No arrests have been made.
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