SOAP LAKE, Wash. (13JUNE2019) -- The teamwork of several law enforcement agencies, fire investigators and citizens resulted in the arrest of two people and the pending arrests of several others related to a number of arson fires in the Soap Lake area.
Fire District 7 alerted the Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Marshal’s Office starting in early April to a series of suspicious fires which burned old homestead structures near the 27000 block of Road A-Northeast and the 1600 block of Road 27-Northeast.
Sheriff’s investigators, the Fire Marshal’s Office, Soap Lake Police and Fire District 7 combined forces to gather evidence including surveillance camera footage. The case was reinforced by tips from citizens which tied a suspect vehicle to the fires.
Twenty-one-year-old Alexandra Gray of Ephrata was arrested on suspicion of four counts of second degree arson and four counts of second degree burglary. She is lodged in the Grant County Jail.
A 17-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of five counts of second degree arson and five counts of second degree burglary. He is lodged with Youth Services.
Additional arrests are pending.
The first fire was reported April 10 and the most recent fire was May 28. At least five burned buildings were connected to the case and possibly two more. None of the structures were occupied and included old homes and farm buildings all of which were in a very rural area. Nobody was injured. All the fires appear to have been crimes of opportunity.
“There was a great amount of time spent on this investigation due to the concern that the fire setters might evolve to igniting occupied buildings,” said Sheriff Tom Jones. “The cooperation between investigators and the public helped close this case before anybody was hurt, including the suspects.”
Investigators are still looking into a number of unsolved hay and straw stack fires in the Soap Lake area. Anyone with information is asked to call the Grant County Sheriff’s Office at 509-762-1160 or email [email protected]. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
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