Suspect arrested after allegedly setting fires and driving into stores in Germany

BERLIN (AP) — A man was arrested after he allegedly started two fires in the western German city of Essen that injured 30 people and after he drove a van into two stores, authorities said Sunday.

As the police announced, the emergency services were alerted to two fires in residential buildings in quick succession shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday. Among the injured were eight children who were seriously injured, two of whom were in life-threatening condition due to smoke inhalation.

Shortly after the fires broke out, a van drove into two stores in the city, causing property damage but no injuries. The suspect then allegedly threatened people with weapons, but several men managed to push him back with shovels and poles and hold him until the police arrived.

According to the police, the suspect was a 41-year-old from Essen with Syrian citizenship. They said the man's motive appeared to be that his wife had left him, and he targeted homes and businesses where people who supported her lived.

The fire department said that when they arrived at the scene of the first fire, smoke was coming from the entrance to the building and people were shouting for help from the windows. Neighbors had set up ladders to help people escape, but they were not long enough to reach the upper floors.

The suspect has not yet commented on Saturday's events, but was previously known to authorities for making threats and damaging property, police said. The public prosecutor wanted him to remain in custody on suspicion of arson and attempted murder.