SOAP LAKE, Wash. — Two people have been arrested in connection to multiple arson fires in the Soap Lake starting in April 2019.
According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, 21-year-old Alexandra Gray of Ephrata and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion multiple charges stemming from the fires.
Police arrested Gray for suspicion of four counts of second-degree arson and four counts of second-degree burglary, according to a GSCO Spokesman Kyle Foreman. She was booked into the Grant County Jail.
The 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of five counts of second-degree arson and five counts of second-degree burglary, according to Foreman. The boy is currently housed at Youth Services.
Grant Co. Fire District 7 informed the GCSO and the Grant County Fire Marshal's Office in early April of a string of suspicious fires targeting old homestead structures on Road A-Northeast and Raod 27-Northeast, Foreman said.
The first fire was reported as happening on April 10, with the most recent fire taking place on May 28, according to Foreman. Investigators found that at least five fires are connected, and two more may be a part of the same string, Foreman said.
The buildings included old homes and farm structures and none were occupied at the time of the fires, according to Foreman. There were no injuries and Foreman described the arson as appearing to be "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," Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones said.
Tips from citizens and security footage helped lead to the arrests, Foreman said. The investigation included members of the sheriff's office, the Fire Marshal's Office, Soap Lake Police Department and GCFD 7.
