Suspected serial arsonist caught after card with her name on it found at fire, charges say
A woman suspected in 20 arson fires in Tacoma and Ruston was caught because she used her casino card to start one of the blazes, according to court documents.
On Wednesday, Pierce County prosecutors charged Sarah Jane Ramey, 42, with eight counts of first-degree arson, residential burglary, identity theft and possession of a stolen vehicle. She was arraigned Wednesday afternoon where not guilty pleas were entered on her behalf. Her bail was increased from $3 million to $5 million.
Investigators are looking into three other deliberately set fires in Ruston and have linked Ramey to an 83-year-old man killed in a house fire on Tacoma’s North End.
More charges are expected to be filed in the future.
Ramey allegedly denied being involved with any of the fires, which were mostly set at occupied houses Jan. 23-26, even after police showed her surveillance video of some of the crimes. In them, Ramey is wearing a stolen Tacoma Metro Parks jacket and allegedly can be seen lighting fires and using a stolen debit card.
Detectives believe they have more than enough evidence connecting Ramey to at least half of the fires.
Their first break came in the second cluster of fires when Ramey’s casino identification card was found at a fire set at the basement door of a home in the 4700 block of North Orchard Street. An 11-year-old girl whose bedroom was in the basement heard a bang and woke up her brother and parents, who were able to douse flames.
Detectives then were able to match Ramey to various video surveillance taken of some house fires, along with video taken at a convenience store in between some of the arson fires.
Although investigators are looking at other suspicious fires in recent months, they believe Ramey started her spree Jan. 23 on Fawcett Avenue. While neighbors rushed to help with that house fire, she allegedly started another blaze at a home on South 54th Street.
Police say they found footage showing Ramey dousing the back of the house with an unknown substance then tossing a lit rag.
Next she ignited a porch, a propane BBQ vinyl cover and an unoccupied house, prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
Around 2:30 a.m. Jan. 26, a woman on North Cheyenne Street was awakened by her dog barking and spotted a fire at her neighbor’s house. She soon realized her home had been broken into and her son’s debit card, along with other personal effects, had been stolen.
Tacoma police say it was that debit card Ramey would later be caught on surveillance camera using to buy gas and snacks at a convenience store.
Within a half hour, a detached garage, carport and vehicle up the street were destroyed by fire. A picture from the stolen wallet was found across the street from the scene. Ramey was likely moving items from the stolen wallet into her own, records say.
A witness reported seeing a woman matching Ramey’s description, wearing a Metro Parks jacket and carrying a tote bag to an area also on North Cheyenne Street just before the basement stairwell of a home went up in flames.
Police arrested Ramey Friday. She allegedly had the stolen debit card and a “torch style lighter” on her, according to court records.
She called her mother from the police station and told her “to clear out all of her clothing and to take all of her keys prior to the detectives arriving to serve the warrant,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
It does not appear that Ramey’s mother followed her orders.
Officers found in her home the stolen Metro Parks jacket, stolen Metro Parks keys and another jacket Ramey is believed to have worn during some of the arson fires.
In Ramey’s 2002 Ford Ranger, which was also spotted on surveillance video at some of the fire scenes, police found two containers of gasoline, a glass container similar to one found at a fire scene, more stolen Metro Parks keys and stolen mail. The glove box held a stolen checkbook belonging to James Elliott, an 83-year-old man who died Dec. 31 in a house fire in the 200 block of Rosemount Way.
Although investigators initially determined that fire was caused an electrical fire, the investigation is ongoing.
Ramey allegedly admitted to being in the area of Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue on Jan 25, about one block from where four other arson fires occurred.
Police say they are also looking into three other suspicious fires in Ruston, including one at a home where Ramey was recently employed as a landscaper. She was fired about one week before the house was set on fire.
Ramey has a prior conviction for second-degree burglary related to a 2012 break-in in Bonney Lake. She was sentenced to three months in jail.
Timeline of the arson fires:
Jan. 23, 7:35 p.m.: House fire in the 5500 block of South Fawcett Avenue. Three people were inside.
Jan. 23, 8:03 p.m.: House fire in the 400 block of South 54th Street.
Jan. 26, 12:05 a.m.: Porch fire in the 5300 block of North Bennett Street.
Jan. 26, 1:24 a.m.: House fire in the 4700 block of North Orchard Street. Two adults and two children were inside.
Jan. 26, 2:05 a.m.: House fire in the 4600 block of North Gove Street.
Jan. 26, 2:18 a.m.: BBQ fire in the 3900 block of North Cheyenne Street.
Jan. 26, 2:30 a.m.: House fire and residential burglary in the 3700 block of North Cheyenne Street.
Jan. 26, 3:08 a.m.: Detached garage, carport and vehicle fire in the 3700 block of North Cheyenne Street.
Jan. 26, 4:05 a.m.: Stairwell fire in the 3700 block of North Cheyenne Street.
Jan. 26, 6:02 a.m.: Ramey caught on surveillance camera at a convenience store on North Pearl Street.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 1:48 PM.
