Tacoma police arrest arson suspect sought for setting fire at Freighthouse Square
Tacoma police arrested a 31-year-old man Tuesday suspected of setting two fires last week at buildings in the Dome District, causing thousands of dollars in damages to Freighthouse Square, a hub for transit and businesses.
Officers arrested the man in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood after a tipster recognized him from a Crime Stoppers bulletin shared last week by Tacoma Police Department. According to a news release issued by police, the tipster flagged down an officer and told them the man was near the 2500 block of South J Street.
Police said the man was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. According to Pierce County Jail records, he was booked at about 3:40 p.m. on suspicion of first-degree arson.
Freighthouse Square is a more than 110-year-old building at 2501 E. D St., next to a rail station for Amtrak and the Sounder. It houses a variety of shops, restaurants and artist spaces.
The fires occurred the morning of March 8 at Freighthouse Square and a vacant building a few blocks away at 323 E. 26th St. Firefighters were called to the building fire shortly after midnight, according to Tacoma Fire Department, and crews worked for more than four hours to put out the flames. Firefighters were still working at 4:30 a.m. when they noticed a fire at Freighthouse Square.
The fire there damaged an exterior wall facing East 26th Street, leaving it with a burn that fire officials said spread about 15 feet toward the roof. The blaze was quickly extinguished. Police estimated the damages amounted to $20,000.
Surveillance video from Freighthouse Square captured images of a man starting the fire, according to police. It’s unclear what evidence ties him to the vacant building fire.
This story was originally published March 15, 2023 at 8:14 AM.
