Suspect arrested over vandalism of vehicles in Irbid

AMMAN — Police on Tuesday announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with an attack on parked vehicles in a neighbourhood in the northern governorate of Irbid on Monday night.

“We have arrested a suspect based on witnesses’ accounts and are searching for more in connection with the attack that targeted 13 vehicles in Mutalee neighbourhood in Barha town,” Public Security Department (PSD) Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

Initial investigations of the incident indicated that the suspect and other unknown accomplices had an argument with a resident in Mutalee neighbourhood a few days before the incident, Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

The suspect and other men went looking for the resident and when they did not find him, they attacked parked cars, according to a PSD statement.

Sartawi said investigators are still questioning the suspect to learn more “about his accomplices”.

“We still don't have other suspects because the man in custody is not talking. But hopefully we will arrest them soon because we are still questioning more witnesses,” the police official said.

Irbid, some 80km north of Amman and which has a population of around 1.8 million, witnessed similar attacks on vehicles and kiosks in February in the northern towns of Malka and Um Qais.

Three people were arrested in the Malka attacks on vehicles and a kiosk on February 3, and they reportedly confessed to being under the influence of alcohol, Irbid Police Department Director Brig. Gen. Ali Hamlan told The Jordan Times at the time.

Sartawi confirmed that none of the three incident is related to the other.

“They were all separate incidents that were carried out by several individuals for different motives,” the official explained.