Man charged in Christie Pits arsons

A 30-year-old man, already in jail on other charges, is accused of setting several fires near Christie Pits Park four years ago.

Dallas Rostant appeared in court Wednesday morning, and his case was put over until Feb. 3, 2012.

At a news conference, police said they had linked DNA found at the crime scene to Rostant and charged him with arson, possession of incendiary material and theft under $5,000.

They said he has been in custody since May 2010, when he was arrested for a slew of unrelated break-ins.

“Physical evidence recovered at the scene has now been linked to Mr. Rostant,” said Det. Sgt. Ian McArthur.

“Evidence seized from crime scenes may become more significant with advancing technologies … as was the case in this investigation.”

The nine fires — all set in a 30-minute span on July 2, 2007 — damaged homes, garages and vehicles near Christie Pits Park, between Shaw and Christie streets, and caused $1 million in damages.

Police said they are investigating other cases which may be connected.

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