Teen arrested over alleged trash can arson at Dingxi MRT Station

New Taipei, Jan. 3 (CNA) A 15-year-old boy was taken in for questioning on Saturday after allegedly setting fire to a trash can at Dingxi MRT Station in New Taipei earlier in the day, police said.

According to the Yonghe Precinct of the New Taipei City Police Department, the incident occurred around 7:55 a.m. when the suspect allegedly threw lit tissue paper into a station trash can, causing it to smolder.

Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (TRTC) said station staff discovered the fire and promptly extinguished it with a fire extinguisher, adding that MRT services were not disrupted.

Police told CNA that officers from the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongshan Precinct later traced the suspect and intercepted him at Yuanshan MRT Station in Taipei.

The teenager was escorted for questioning and referred to the New Taipei District Court's juvenile court in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act, police said.

He is suspected of offenses including arson, endangering public transportation safety, and property damage. Police said they are continuing to investigate his motive.

TRTC said the act endangered operational safety and could result in a fine ranging from NT$10,000 (US$318) to NT$1 million under the Mass Rapid Transit Act.