The only person accused of lighting one of Australia’s deadly wildfires was a lonely Web surfer who liked dogs, always said “G’day” to neighbors and was trying to find love online.
Brendan Sokaluk, 39, who reportedly once served as a volunteer fire fighter, was named as the suspect police arrested last week.
Authorities are keeping Sokaluk at a secret location to protect him from potential reprisal attacks after a magistrate lifted a ban on publishing his name.
Sokaluk has been charged with one count of arson causing death and one of lighting a blaze that police on Monday said killed 10 people. About 200 homes were destroyed in the fire, one of hundreds that blazed across Victoria state on Feb. 7 in Australia’s’ worst fire disaster. The confirmed death toll is 189 and will rise, police said.
“He was quiet. You wouldn’t know if he was odd or not,” said a neighbor, who did not want to be named out of sensitivity to Sokaluk’s family. “He would say ‘G’day’ when you passed him.”
Neighbors say he kept to himself and lived alone. One said she thought he was strange because she once saw him watering his lawn in the rain.
“I told my kids to keep away from him,” said the young mother, who did not want her name used so as not to draw attention to her street. “Two of my friends lost their houses in the fire. I don’t know much about him but I’m glad he was caught.”
Sokaluk’s lawyer, Helen Spowart, argued in a hearing on Monday that Sokaluk’s identity should remain secret because of public anger and disgust over the case. She also raised concerns that her client’s family could be targeted by vigilantes.
“Those suspected of vigilantism would not be prevented from behaving in an abhorrent way simply by suppressing his name,” Magistrate John Klestadt said.
Sokaluk has not entered a plea and was ordered to remain in custody until another hearing on May 26.
On the social networking Web site MySpace, Sokaluk described himself as a lovelorn single man who’s hoping to find a young wife.
He wrote that his hero was “mother earth with out her we all would be dead.”
He listed his occupation as “semi-retired” and described himself as a “young happy male who wants to meet a young loven female to marrid.”
Hate groups sprung up on Facebook. One called “Brendan Sokaluk, the Victorian Bushfires Arsonist, must burn in hell,” attracted more than 3,500 members as of Monday night.
Police said they were seeking to have online postings about Sokaluk, including his photograph, removed or blocked. Some pages that were viewable on Monday appeared to have been disabled yesterday.
Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said publishing photographs of Sokaluk in the press or online could jeopardize his right to a fair trial.
Another lawyer for Sokaluk, Julian McMahon, said at least one member of Sokaluk’s family had received threats.
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