Suspect, 13, charged with setting JCPenney fire that caused 50K in damage

Detectives have charged a 13-year-old boy in connection to a May 17 fire that caused about $50,000 in damage to the JCPenney at the Spokane Valley Mall.

Investigators arrested the boy on Wednesday and charged him with first-degree arson after investigating the fire that took place inside the store, located at 147300 E. Indiana Ave., according to a news release.

Spokane Valley Police spokesman Cpl. Mark Gregory said in the release that investigators believe that the suspect ignited a torch-type lighter and used it to burn holes in merchandise boxes before walking away.

The box on the store’s second floor ignited, and the fire spread to other nearby boxes, which triggered the fire suppression sprinklers. As a result, the store suffered extensive water and smoke damage to both floors, Gregory wrote.

The case was solved through tips and information. After being charged, the youth was booked into the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center, Gregory said.