Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) — A man is in custody after a suspicious fire severely damaged a Washington state mosque overnight.
The fire was reported early Saturday at the Islamic Center of the Eastside in Bellevue. Authorities say that as firefighters doused the flames, police found a man near the building and arrested him for investigation of arson. He's identified as 37-year-old Isaac Wayne Wilson. Investigators believe he's the sole suspect..
The mosque was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported.
There have been repeated incidents of threats and vandalism at the Bellevue mosque and others in recent months. A man was charged this week with a hate crime for threatening people there on Jan. 6, and a granite sign outside the Muslim Association of Puget Sound in neighboring Redmond was damaged twice.
%@AP Links
208-a-15-(Chief Steve Mylett, Bellevue Police Department, at news conference)-"the first degree"-Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett says a man has been arrested in connection with a suspicious fire at the Islamic Center of the Eastside. (14 Jan 2017)
<<CUT *208 (01/14/17)££ 00:15 "the first degree"
209-a-13-(Chief Steve Mylett, Bellevue Police Department, at news conference)-"they come in"-Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett says investigators believe the suspect acted alone. (14 Jan 2017)
<<CUT *209 (01/14/17)££ 00:13 "they come in"
212-a-10-(Bellevue Mayor John Stokes, at news conference)-"within our city"-Bellevue Mayor John Stokes says city leaders and residents won't be intimidated by the fire at the Islamic Center of the Eastside. (14 Jan 2017)
<<CUT *212 (01/14/17)££ 00:10 "within our city"
210-a-09-(Chief Steve Mylett, Bellevue Police Department, at news conference)-"in this crime"-Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett says investigators believe the fire was intentionally set. (14 Jan 2017)
<<CUT *210 (01/14/17)££ 00:09 "in this crime"
211-a-12-(Chief Steve Mylett, Bellevue Police Department, at news conference)-"worship, specifically mosques"-Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett says investigators don't think this was a hate crime. (14 Jan 2017)
<<CUT *211 (01/14/17)££ 00:12 "worship, specifically mosques"
206-a-13-(Chief Mark Risen (RYZ'-ehn), Bellevue Fire Department, at news conference)-"the fire down"-Bellevue Fire Chief Mark Risen says when crews arrived on the scene, the mosque was engulfed in flames. (14 Jan 2017)
<<CUT *206 (01/14/17)££ 00:13 "the fire down"
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
