Judd & Black arson reports show how police found teen suspect

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, September 3, 2019

EVERETT — An Everett arsonist bragged about sparking the multimillion dollar fire that destroyed Judd & Black’s flagship store, according to police reports obtained by The Daily Herald.

At least 10 tips pointed detectives to Timothy Wood, 19, a homeless young man living in Everett, as the prime suspect in a fire last year at the appliance dealer’s most successful location.

Detectives believe Wood ignited boxes filled with Styrofoam on the night of Sept. 21, just outside the historic building at 3001 Hewitt Ave. The three-alarm fire endangered first-responders and caused a loss of more than $3 million, in inventory and a building that was constructed in the 1890s.

Ninety-seven pages of investigative reports were obtained through a public records request by The Daily Herald. Until now, Everett police declined to say what kind of evidence they had against Wood.

Detectives have recommended charges of first-degree arson to the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office. No charges have been filed at this stage. Wood is serving a 13-month prison sentence for an October arson at a derelict house in north Everett.

The first tip tying Wood to the three-alarm fire at Judd & Black came in late September, less than a week after the flames stopped smoldering. A man claimed he watched Wood sneak into a car to steal a purse, about two hours after the fire broke out.

“Timmy then boasted about doing bigger things and went on to claim he started the fire at Judd & Black,” according to an Everett police officer’s account of the report. The tipster “commented that Timmy looked very serious and he believed him.”

A jail inmate later claimed that, while the building would’ve still been burning, Wood bragged to him and a group of young people about starting the fire.

“You guys can all just thank me for Judd & Black,” Wood reportedly told the group below an overpass.

The purported witness, in his late 20s, was under investigation himself as a potential suspect in the arson. Detectives interviewed him when he was arrested on unrelated charges. Police showed him security footage of someone dumpster diving on the night of the fire down the street from Judd & Black.

The inmate confirmed it was him on camera, but denied having any part in the fire. He reported he wasn’t sure if he believed Wood’s alleged boast.

Another young woman told police in October that on the night of the fire, Wood rushed up to her and her friends at Everett Station, and told them to look at a video on his phone: a livestream of the flames. Wood seemed “obsessed with his phone and what was going on,” according to the woman’s report.

Later when rumors circulated about who police suspected, Wood reportedly told the same woman that he “did not even mean to start the fire.”

And in January, weeks after telling police that she had nothing to share, Wood’s girlfriend told police that Wood claimed he had set the fire — but she didn’t believe him and thought it was a joke.

The fire at a Lombard home was an apparent act of revenge against a man who agreed to store Wood’s property in the vacant home. Charging papers say Wood used a lighter to burn the curtains on Oct. 14, and it left major damage to the house.

A young man who claimed he was close with Wood tipped off police in January about his apparent connection to both fires. Wood’s friend was in police custody at the time.

According to the report, Wood had told him, “(Expletive) Judd & Black.”

Around the same time, police had announced the Judd & Black fire was arson, without giving details about how they reached that conclusion. As police investigated Wood for the store fire, he was charged, convicted and sentenced for the house fire in north Everett.

After he was sentenced, detectives sat down with Wood to try to talk with him about Judd & Black. He didn’t want to talk. The lead detective, Daniel Rabelos, told him he expected him to be charged with another count of first-degree arson.

According to Rabelos’ report, Wood didn’t deny starting the fire. Instead he countered that police didn’t have proof that the fire had been lit with malice, or on purpose. The detective reportedly told him he should probably stop talking to people, and that there were several witnesses “because he could not keep his mouth shut about what he had done.”

The detective wished him well in prison.

Some of the many tips came from people looking to exchange information for a better deal in their own criminal cases.

How exactly the fire was sparked isn’t made clear in the reports. One tip suggested he’d been playing with alcohol and fire; another claimed he’d thrown a Molotov cocktail onto the roof; while another said Wood made a claim that even the tipster found implausible — that he’d flicked a cigarette, and the fire spread out of control.

Police believe the point of origin was in six to eight refrigerator boxes full of Styrofoam, near a wall.

Judd & Black gave police identical Styrofoam-filled boxes. Officers held a cigar and a cigarette to one, to see if it would catch. It melted a little, but didn’t ignite. Officers let the tobacco burn until the heat dwindled.

According to police reports, the teen used the fake name Timothy (Expletive) Hood for his Facebook profile.

One thing about his social media page isn’t noted in the police reports.

Three days before the fire, Wood changed his cover photo. The picture showed lyrics from a Nicki Minaj song; emojis of diamonds, crowns, demon faces and flames; and the hashtag: “#THISCITYGONBURN.”

Caleb Hutton: 425-339-3454; chutton@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snocaleb.