Crime | Bad Taobao purchase goes up in flames

A group of three youngsters became involved in a case of arson after one of them decided to burn a pair of sneakers he had bought online.
The case was disclosed by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday who did not divulge details on the identity of the individual, who is studying at a school located in the Central District, because they are under the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
According to the police, after purchasing the shoes online for RMB17, they were unhappy with the quality of the shoes and decided to burn them.
Two of his schoolmates participated in the incident near the school at a square that gives access to the parking lot of the Praça de Ferreira do Amaral.
Surveillance camera footage showed the owner of the shoes setting fire to the shoes with the assistance of one of his schoolmates, while a third member of the group was looking out for any passersby who might see them.
The PJ said that an undisclosed person saw the fire and called the fire services who attended the location where the incident occurred. Since the fire was not of natural causes, they informed the PJ of the case in line with protocol.
According to the PJ, the company that manages the parking lot did not wish to pursue any charges over the case as it did not cause any damage to the facilities.