Thanks to a CHS reader for this image from the scene of the arrest
A suspect chased down by police remains jailed and Seattle Fire says investigators have determined the fire was intentionally set in Saturday’s blaze that damaged the former Queen Sheba restaurant across from Capitol Hill Station.
The Seattle Police Department says it took a 42-year-old man into custody Saturday afternoon in the aftermath of the incident that brought a large response to Broadway and John to battle the stubborn basement fire.
Police say the man was arrested a short distance from the fire for reckless burning, obstruction, and a weapons violation. A witness reportedly saw the suspect and another man fleeing the burning building.
According to court records, the suspect was released from Jail in August to await trial in a malicious mischief case stemming from thousands in damage inflicted on a delivery van in a Harvard Ave parking lot in July. The newly re-jailed suspect is slated to stand trial in that case later this year.
Seattle Fire did not provide a damage estimate from its investigation but the property’s owner tells CHS plans for overhauling the restaurant will remain on track. CHS reported here on the closure of the longtime Ethiopian restaurant tucked into a converted 125-year-old house just off Broadway.
Developer and property owner Dru Agarwal said he is moving forward with plans to prepare the building for a new restaurant. “Great location directly across from light rail and with visibility to the busiest intersection so would love a new tenant for it,” Agarwal said.
The E John fire also contributed to disruptions in light rail service around the city Saturday as the facility’s evacuation alarm cleared Capitol Hill Station during the fire across the street at Queen Sheba.
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How about we keep folks like this person in jail?
No need to bother with a trial, I suppose.
We really need to have a ballot initiative to build a Seattle jail.
It is sad that the Queen Sheba restaurant closed, but it seemed like every time I walked by there the past few years, it looked as if it had been closed for years. I would have like to have tried it, but could not tell that it was still open,
It was the only Ethiopian restaurant in the heart of Cap Hill unless you wanted to go to the CD.
It’s a shame that building due to it’s age isn’t marked as a historical preserved building.
Can we get the name of the suspect? It’s probably safe to say that public disclosure of his name and face may help with other cases of burglary and theft that have occurred on D3.