SPOKANE, Wash. — Court documents are giving new details into how Spokane police were able to identify the suspect in the alleged arson at St. Charles Parish in North Spokane.
Spokane Police Spokesperson Julie Humphreys said in a press release that Rio Antonio Mirabal, 22, was arrested in Spokane Valley on March 26. Mirabal is charged with first degree arson. He is currently in the Spokane County Jail on $350,000 bond.
According to court documents, one of Mirabal’s family members contacted police when they saw a press release that contained surveillance video from the church. The family member told police the person in the photos “is definitely him (Mirabal),” documents say. The family member also said Mirabal is homeless and has mental health issues, according to documents.
Court documents also detail Mirabal’s alleged movements while inside the church.
Investigators say in court documents Mirabel broke a window on one of the church’s doors and was able to reach in and unlock the door. Court documents say he was also seen on surveillance video prying open a cabinet and pulling out four bottles of wine. He opened the wine, poured some on the ground and put one bottle in his coat pocket, documents say.
Surveillance video also captured Mirabal taking a cross/rosary off the wall and wearing it as he walked around the building, documents say. He was also seen holding a lit candle, according to documents.
Investigators believe Mirabal set multiple fires around the building. According to documents, fire investigators found one of the fires was started in the parish office in the main lobby of the school. They believe the fire quickly spread through the offices and into the attic, according to documents.
The fire on Thursday, March 18 heavily damaged the administrative offices of the church on North Alberta Street and its attached school. It also forced the closure of the school and postponed Mass at the church.
Spokane Bishop Thomas Daly said the fire caused a couple million dollars in damage, adding that renovations had just been completed at some of the offices.
After the fire at St. Charles was lit, the suspect walked around neighborhoods in the area tearing up and burning a Bible, Spokane police said. Pieces of the Bible were left on numerous vehicles, including some in the areas of 2300 W. Rockwell Avenue and 2600 W. Lacrosse Avenue.
No one was injured in the fire. A priest sleeping in his living quarters was awaken by an officer for SPD who first noticed the fire when he pulled into the parking lot of St. Charles and banged on windows and doors to wake anyone who might be in the building.