13-year-old accused of arson in relation to South Hill car wash fire; 11-year-old responsible for other fires, police say

Spokane police believe a 13-year-old boy is responsible for one of the several recent suspicious fires on the South Hill.

Officers arrested the teen shortly after midnight Friday on suspicion of second-degree arson and first-degree malicious mischief for the fire that caused about $160,000 in damages July 19 to Squeaky’s Car Wash Express on Regal Street, according to a police news release.

A detective and an officer conducted surveillance early Friday morning and saw the teen hanging around another business in the area with a flashlight, police said. He eventually left and went to a nearby residence.

Officers detained him and took him to his residence, where they spoke with the teen’s father. Police arrested the teen and booked him into the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center. Additional charges are possible.

Police also identified an 11-year-old in relation to some of the fires and have probable cause to arrest him, according to police. They are working with prosecutors to find a “good resolution” because of the boy’s age and other factors.

Police said they are looking at additional suspects as they investigate the correlation among the fires and also between the people who set them.