Ontario Police Charged 12-Year-Old Girl With Arson After Allegedly Causing $10K In Damages

Growing up takes time, unless, of course, you get criminally charged. Then you might have to do it fast.

This week, a 12-year-old girl from Trenton in Ontario faced charges after allegedly starting a residence fire that caused over $10,000 in property damages.

According to the OPP's Quinte West Detachment, officers responded to the incident at around 2:30 p.m. on May 23, 2022, on Northumberland Boulevard to assist firefighters with a "structure fire."

Upon arrival, investigators received information that the fire may have been "intentionally set." Officers then secured security camera footage from a nearby device, which allowed them to identify two young people leaving the residence around the time of the fire.

Police have charged and arrested a 12-year-old female, a local, with the following offences:

• "Arson, damage to property
• Break, enter dwelling-house - commit indictable offence - two counts; and
• Mischief over $5000."

"The accused was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville at a later date," the OPP report concludes. "The identity of the accused has been withheld as it is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act."

Sad as it may be, the girl is hardly the first young person to get themselves into serious trouble in the province.

In March, OPP officers with the Lakeshore detachment stopped and charged a 14-year-old for driving 209 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.

The motorist was later charged with stunt driving, and their vehicle was impounded. How and why they had access to it remains unknown.