Poetto, arson attack at Cocobeach: the caretaker was inside

An arson attack occurred at dawn Saturday at the Cocobeach kiosk in Poetto. Flammable liquid, likely gasoline, was poured into one of the bar's entrances overlooking the beach. The arsonist's silhouette was reportedly spotted by the business's caretaker, who managed to escape after setting the fire. Fortunately, the employee's quick intervention, as well as the arrival of firefighters, limited the damage. "I have no idea who it could have been," Claudio Trepiccione, the kiosk's owner, told the Carabinieri. "I've never had any problems with anyone, and I'm just focusing on work."

The testimony

The manager, originally from Campania, now fearful about what happened, recounts how things went. "I took over the kiosk last May," he explained, "despite the adverse weather, we decided to stay open through the winter with the intention of continuing to make ourselves known after the good work we did over the summer. I'm fascinated by this land and its people. On Valentine's Day, at 6:53 a.m., there was an attempted arson attack outside my shop, which could have ended in tragedy, given the presence of one of my employees inside."

The fire

Claudio Trepiccione described the incident as follows: "A man with gasoline—or so it seemed from the smell—approached from the back of the building and, raising the curtains, began spraying the liquid everywhere, despite my employee's screams. He continued his mission undaunted, then fled the way he had come. Meanwhile, the flames, fanned by the wind, did not spread thanks to the prompt action of the caretaker, whom I have only to thank." On the Poetto beach, after the firefighters arrived to check the stability of the wooden structure, the Carabinieri from the San Bartolomeo station then arrived. Minor damage was reported to the veranda awning and some wooden parts, but fortunately the fire did not spread.

The owner's fear

"I don't know who it could have been," the owner assured the Carabinieri. "I don't think I've ever treated anyone badly, and I've never had any problems with my employees. One person went to the labor inspector, but they confirmed that I always did my duty and paid everyone. Since I'm new to Poetto, I've only been working these past few months, and I don't feel like I've ever bothered anyone. In fact, the question I'm asking myself now is why? I don't know who it could have been, and I still can't wrap my head around it."

The investigations

The Carabinieri have now acquired footage from Cocobeach's closed-circuit television cameras to determine whether the footage can identify and name the attacker. Miraculously, this arson attack did not escalate into something far more serious, as the caretaker spent the entire night at the beach bar and, fortunately, was not injured. Indeed, upon realizing what was happening, he immediately raised the alarm, managing to single-handedly extinguish the flames and prevent them from devouring the entire wooden structure. The investigation is ongoing.

Francesco Pinna