The Montreal police arson squad is investigating a pair of arson attacks that occurred early Monday morning.
The first occurred just after 4:30 at the Pot Masson restaurant on Masson near 9th Avenue. A witness spotted two men pouring liquid inside and outside the establishment from a nearby window. The suspects fled north on 9th Avenue after the witness screamed at the pair to get away.
Aside from a broken window, Montreal police say no other damage was caused but did say it was the second attack at the restaurant within the past week.
The second incident took place a few minutes later at a pizzeria on Fleury near Georges-Baril. An on-duty police officer spotted the fire and called for back-up. Police officers managed to put out the fire with their own extinguishers before the Fire Department arrived on scene. There are no witnesses to the act, and no one has been apprehended but police did say they located an object that had been thrown through a window.
The owner of the pizzeria is collaborating with police, who will be looking at security camera footage in the hopes of getting a description of the perpetrators. SPVM spokesman Benoit Boisselle says the establishment next to the pizzeria was hit with a similar attack three weeks ago.