| Fire hits L Bob Mackin News Reporter A fire forced the evacua- tion of a Lonsdale apartment building Wednesday morning, just three days before Christmas. North Vancouver City Fire crews responded to the blaze on the ground fleor of ; Lonsdale Avenue at 10:19 a.m. Back-up units «were requested = trom North Vancouver District at 10:39 a.m. Firefighters found and extinguished a fire that appar- ently started in the kitchen of the northwest corner suite. Flames spread to the third floor. | Smoke and water damage was present throughout the complex, across the street from the Centennial Theatre park- ing lor. 1, that’s it,” said a ground Boor resident named Tony. “I was inside, I opened the door and the girls were crying. I took my clothes, everything is in there.” Residents were taken by TraasLink bus to the Lonsdale Recreation Centre. To press time, North Vancouver city emergency services was figur- ing out where to house the people. Two ambulances were called to the scene. No injuries were reported, though a few iS “T saw smoke, I called 9-1- Fi ale apartment { Fae vie Oe ft NEWS photo Mike Wakefield NORTH Van City firefighters extinguished a blaze Wednesday that damaged a Lonsdaie apartment building and left some tenants homeless. No injuries were veported. Rasidents were evacuated to the nearby Lonsdale Rec Centre. residents were treated on- scene for smoke inhalation. City spokesman Bruce Hawkshaw said firefighters believe the fire was accidental, but were just beginning their investigation. Six of the people firefight- ers spoke with said they didn’t have tenants’ insurance. “Ac this time of the year it could be a huge loss for them,” Man beats murder rap Bob Mackin News Reporter JON Moroury walked out of court a free man on Tuzsday night, the eve of his 2ist birthday. A B.C. Supreme Court jury in New Westminster found tie North Vancouver man not guiley in the first degree murder of Mohammed Mirhadi, Mirhadi was gunned down Feb. 26, 1997, in the Famous Players movie complex on - Esplanade. Michael Caster was convicted last: February for ‘being the gunman. He is serv- ing, a life sentence and isn’t eli- gi le for full paroie until 0 ; 22. Mirhadi’s father, John . Mirhadi, was . mystified by Tuesday’s verdict. : “Are we showing to the young people that they can kill sorieone, they. can do any kind of vielence and get away so easily?” he said. “These people did not kill only my son, they killed me, my wife, my daughter.” He said the jury let down the justice sys- tem. The jury was shown a videotaped confession by Moroury -— Caster’s alleged accomplice — which was shot during an uadercover RCMP operation, “It was so powerful and sc clear,” Mirhadi said. The pane! of seven men and three. women spent only two hours deliberating, despite the hours of audio and video tapes they took to their mecting room to review. Mirhadi said ‘one «male member of the jury appeared to be napping during Tuesday 'S OF hing’ in eto afternoon's court proceedings. “With this kind of jury what could I expect?” Mirhadi said he received a phone cali late Wednesday morning from a man who clairtied to be a juror. Mirhadi said the man, who apologized and tried to explain the rea- sons for the verdict, zppeared to have very good knowledge about the facts of the trial. “This is very strange, I don’t know if someone was kidding me or if it was real. It sounded very serious.” The caller, Mirhadi said, told &im Moroury, a refugee, would eventually be deported and had spent more than two years in jail already. Moroury’s troubles may not be over. He, along with Caster, was named in a wy ful death lawsuit filed by the Mirhadi family last February. Hawkshaw said. The people were driven away on a TransLink bus with, ironically, an advertisement for a bank-owned _ insurance Hit SUEgESHONS Glass 1637 Lonsdale Ave.. N. Van. 984-6700 1730 Marine Drive, W. Van. 926-7710 oeles ba » The Sony Dolby Digitat Receiver (Model STRDE-425) advertised on page 7 for $199.99, should have read “Dolby Digital Ready Receiver”. This mode! does not have 2 Dolby Digital Decoder We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have “BOXING WEEK” SALE ON Né &] The Great $21.39 Mates ated emt tna Puss, Petro Canada t0W3C ai CHANGE Suice 1978 LTO. Don'l forget about our T-Tech transmission service - Change 106% of your fluid not just 40-60%. , Wan ths Coupen * For most vatucies: ms: ie | OPEN SUNDBY. a OH Lonsdale & 13th, N. Vancouver bp, Sane reserve early to avoid cissapointment We + The Foursome 27 EXPIRES DEC 31/99." yh. <4 starring é Jackson Davies | The bitarious comedy’ by Norm Foster y in-store specials! © vy!