Police have arrested a 16-year-old suspect in 23 arson cases in Spokane Valley, Wash., after they received a number of tips from locals.
Law enforcers have identified the suspect, who has admitted guilt in all of the incidents. Police, however, refused to share details due to the suspect's age.
Reports suggest that the teen had recently moved to the new city along with his parents from Missouri. He was not happy with the move and was frustrated as he did not have friends in Spokane Valley.
Law enforcers were also able to track his cell phone locations to the places he had set ablaze since mid-September. The teen set parched grassland and empty houses on fire. The suspect burned down two model homes, which cost about $700,000.
Investigators first realized that the suspect could be a teenager when they found a burning spiral notebook and flashcards from a high school chemistry class in one of the small fires.
Police reveal that on Sept. 25 they spotted a white sedan near one of the fires and noted its registration number. The description and the registration of the sedan matched the one that the teen drove.
"I want to emphasize this has been a team effort between members of the task force, members of the media and the public," says Spokane County Fire District 8 Chief Tony Nielsen.
Residents and the city's arson task force were relieved after learning of the arrest. Assistant Chief Greg Godfrey of Fire District 8 says it was urgent for authorities to catch the culprit as the fires could potentially hurt people. The firefighters also note that they had never witnessed so many fire cases in just a short span of time in the city.
The suspect is a student at Central Valley High School. Authorities says that he is cooperating with the investigation. The teen faces two counts of first-degree arson and five counts of second-degree arson. He may also face additional charges as the investigation proceeds.
No one was hurt in any of the incidents.
