- July 13, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
SEATTLE — Seattle police and fire investigators are searching for a known arson suspect who they believe intentionally started a fire which destroyed an abandoned housing complex in the 5200 block of University Way NE.
The same man is suspected of assaulting a woman before the fire started. Both were illegally trespassing in the abandoned building and may have been among many squatting inside, according to Seattle Fire and SPD sources. It took more than 90 firefighters to control the damage, according to a Seattle Fire department spokesman.
Squatting, burglary and property crimes have soared in the area, according to neighbors and nearby business owners.
“When we tried to conduct a primary search of the building and the roof was starting to collapse,” according to Seattle Fire spokesman David Cuerpo. “And at this point, 90% of the building has collapsed, so we “had to abort the primary search.”
Spreading fire was biggest fear for neighboring…
