Scarborough coffee shop fire an act of arson: Cops

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The latest of a recent rash of arson fires happened early Tuesday at a Greek coffee shop and social club in Scarborough.

Toronto firefighters responded around 3:15 a.m. and extinguished a blaze at Elliniko Kafeneio Synantisi cafe, located in a plaza on Birchmount Rd., about one kilometre south of Ellesmere Rd.

Toronto Police posted to social media that “this fire is being investigated as a suspected arson.”

At the scene, through the smashed front windows, some burned tables and chairs could be seen. There was smashed glass all over the front walkway, a pry bar lay on the ground outside beside a chair, and a red gas can could be seen sitting on one of the many  green felt-topped tables inside.

Peter, who was getting his hair cut in a shop next to the cafe, said he goes in once in a while to have a coffee.

When asked if people play cards inside the club for money, Peter said “it’s cards, but not big cards.”

“Daytime, nighttime, a couple of guys go in there. They spend two or three hours,” said Peter.

Inside the cafe there was a huge TV set with multiple CCTV camera screens and below there was a white board that read “No Chips. No Cash” with a bunch of numbers written in blue marker.

Another man who frequents the establishment, Tom, who was in the plaza looking at the damage, said he had gone in during the day around noon and some guys “play Gin Rummy.”

“We stay a couple of hours and then we leave,” said Tom. “I go in, have a coffee and watch TV.”

At the rear of the building was a large brown leather card table propped on a wall past the opened rear door.

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Outside, along the back wall of the business, there were six video cameras pointed at the back door and rear parking lot.

Two Toronto Fire investigators showed up just before noon, took some photos and spoke with Toronto Police officers guarding the scene. They left without commenting on what might have occurred.

A call made to the phone number posted under the cafe’s outdoor signage had an automated voice recording say  “the number you have reached is not in service.”

In a video released at Toronto Police headquarters, Const. Stephanie Miceli said investigators do not believe that Tuesday morning’s fire is related to two other recent cases of suspected arson in that general area.

Police alleged  two fires were deliberately set at Indian restaurants — one Friday, the other, Saturday —  in the Kennedy Rd.-Lawrence Ave. E. area less than 24 hours apart.

The first fire happened as staff were cleaning up at Sha’az Indian Cusine in White Shield plaza at Kennedy Rd. and Lawrence Ave. E. on Friday around 3 a.m.

Three masked men smashed their way through the front door, said police, and poured an accelerant in the dining room area before setting it ablaze as a stunned female worker watched in horror before fleeing out a back door to safety with three other colleagues.

Surveillance video obtained by The Toronto Sun from a plaza at 1190 Kennedy Rd. shows two masked men approach Bisi Bisi Indian restaurant, smash in a window and light it on fire with an accelerant from a gas can just before 3 a.m. on Saturday.

And on May 21, Toronto Fire said they responded to a two-alarm fire inside the ground floor of a commercial business office at Pape and Fulton Aves. that was set ablaze around 5:20 a.m.

Three residents who live in apartments on the second floor were rescued and taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

Toronto Police said that three suspects wearing dark clothes, hoodies and masks “were carrying red jerry cans,” according to reports given to Global News.