Spokane man may face arson charges

Arson investigators with the Spokane Fire Department may charge a West Central resident with arson after he threw a Molotov cocktail through a window there. Nobody was injured in the attempted arson, which took place about 6:20 Monday morning in the 1800 block of West Gardner Avenue, according to Spokane police. The man told police he was the victim of a racially-motivated crime, but investigators, who spent Monday interviewing witnesses, victims and neighbors, determined he wasn’t the victim of a hate crime, but was actually the perpetrator of the attempted arson. Federal investigators initially assisted in the investigation because it may have been racially motivated. The Spokane Fire Department will take the lead on the investigation and determine what charges the man may face.