Police in Nesebar have detained two former employees of a 5-star hotel in Sunny Beach on suspicion of setting fire to the hotel's company car. Officers identified them less than 24 hours after the arson.
The suspects are a 28-year-old man from Byala Slatina and a 31-year-old man from Pomorie. Early information links them to the fire, and initial reports say they acted together.
The car is an Audi, about 6-7 years old, used by the hotel's senior management. It was set alight at night a few days ago in Sunny Beach, the biggest tourist resort on the southern Black Sea coast, right next to the hotel.
According to initial reports, the two men hid their faces, walked up to the car and set it on fire. They then left on foot along the beach, probably to avoid the cameras. Several mistakes in their planning and escape left traces for forensic experts. Police solved the case with the help of video surveillance and detective work.
The car was destroyed, and almost nothing inside it survived. No one was hurt, and the flames did not reach the building.
A source familiar with the case says the motive was a money dispute with the employer, not random vandalism. The 28-year-old is the most aggrieved. He worked at the resort for about five years. After he left, he complained to acquaintances that he had been paid less than he believes he was owed. Police are checking the financial motive.
The investigation must establish the role of each man and what was used to set the car on fire: a flammable liquid or something else. It must also clarify whether they agreed on it in advance, when they decided to burn the car, and whether the money dispute was the only motive.