A suspect has been arrested in an arson case that damaged Liberal MP Salma Zahid's vehicle outside her east Toronto home on August 27. The arrest came on August 30 for Roshvin Crofton, who faces five charges including arson and mischief over $5,000. Investigators are still searching for another suspect in the alleged arson. The case is part of a larger trend of increased threats and harassment against federal politicians, with Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell reporting a 700% increase in such incidents from 2019 to 2023.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 4452 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-05
Toronto police have arrested and charged one suspect and are searching for another for allegedly setting multiple cars on fire outside an east Toronto MP’s home.
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police → arrest → home
In the early morning on Aug. 27, a suspect allegedly poured gas on vehicles parked outside the home of Liberal MP Salma Zahid in the Scarborough area of Toronto and set two on fire, damaging a third car, police said in a Friday news release.
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police → pour → release
The level of threats and abuse faced by MPs across all parties has spiked in recent years.
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level → face → years
Police and firefighters responded to a 1:21 a.m. call about the fires, they said.
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they → respond → fires
No injuries were reported.
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injuries → report → ?
Roshvin Crofton, 24, was arrested on Aug. 30 and faces five charges, including arson causing to property and mischief over $5,000, Toronto police said in a news release.
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police → arrest → release
Investigators are still searching for another suspect in the alleged arson and are looking for any information involving a black 2025 Hyundai Sonata between Aug. 23 and Aug. 27, police said.
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police → search → Aug.
Ms. Zahid said in a statement that she welcomes both the arrest and news that police are seeking another person connected to the case.
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police → say → case
The investigation is ongoing and there’s no information on a motive, she said.
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she → ’ → motive
“With the support of my colleagues and with the guidance of security professionals, I will continue my work representing the people of Scarborough Centre-Don Valley East and I look forward to returning to Ottawa when the House of Commons resumes sitting later this month,” she said.
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she → continue → Commons
Ms. Zahid, who represents the riding of Scarborough Centre-Don Valley East, was first elected in 2015.
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who → represent → 2015
It’s the second time in nearly two years that a vehicle was allegedly set ablaze in front of a home on Ms. Zahid’s street.
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vehicle → ’ → street
The 2024 case, which occurred outside an address a few houses away from the MP’s, is still being investigated, police said.
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police → occur → MP
Both Prime Minister Mark Carney and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre previously condemned the alleged arson in August.
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Carney → condemn → August
Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell previously told a House of Commons standing committee that the number of security files his office opened on threatening behaviour towards MPs climbed from eight in 2019 to 530 in 2023.
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office → tell → 2023
Threats and harassment against federal politicians also increased by 700 per cent in the same time frame, he said in 2024.
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he → increase → 2024
Female MPs in particular have been targeted with abuse and death threats.
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MPs → target → abuse
In 2022, a man approached and aggressively harassed former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland in rural Alberta, and called her a traitor who should leave the province.
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who → approach → province
Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, who represents Mississauga-Erin Mills, said in 2024 that people have spat at her and made threats against her life.
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people → represent → life
Members of a right-wing extremist organization had stalked her office and shared her address, she said, as well as videotaped her as she walked around her community.
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she → stalk → community
Former environment minister Catherine McKenna spoke out when she was in office about the threats and harassment she received, which led her to request additional security.
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which → speak → security
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme has suggested the federal government draft new laws that make it easier to charge people who threaten elected officials.
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who → suggest → officials
Internal RCMP documents from 2024 warned protecting parliamentarians and other public figures put a “significant strain” on personnel.
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protecting → warn → personnel
RCMP estimates from 2025 said the number of threats against public officials across the country increased from approximately 1,300 in 2022 to 2,600 in 2023 and was projected to exceed 3,500 in 2024.
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number → say → 2024
