A man accused of setting alight parked cars to vent his frustration after his wife left him has been arrested for arson.

The suspect, surnamed Yang, is alleged to have first struck in the wee hours in early August after spending some time driving around to find a parking space in his residential complex in Fengxian District.

Prosecutors said he was upset because he and his wife had quarreled and she had gone to live at her mother's home. Yang wanted to do something to release his anger.

He took out his lighter and set fire to a parked vehicle outside the apartment building. After it was engulfed in flames, he returned home, proecutors said.

They added no one suspected Yang, so in September he burnt two more cars as he remained frustrated and angry. But this time, he wasn’t so lucky. Police found him drunk and put him on a suspect list. During interrogation, he admitted guilt.

Prosecutors added tests showed he had caused economic losses of nearly 230,000 yuan (US$34,635), and he faces a jail term of at least 10 years.