Arson suspected in fire at Granite Falls business
Published 9:00 pm Monday, December 11, 2000
Herald staff
GRANITE FALLS — A man was arrested for investigation of arson after somebody allegedly ignited flammable liquids inside Gene’s Refrigeration and Appliance Repair at 111 Granite Ave., officials said Monday.
The suspect was in the Snohomish County Jail, said Bruce Pulver, deputy fire marshal.
The fire was reported just before 2 a.m. Sunday in a building that had sustained damage from a chimney fire a couple weeks ago. It was a storefront with a residence behind it, Pulver said. Nobody was living in the building because of the previous damage, he said.
A tenant who lives in a separate structure on the property put the bulk of the fire out with a garden hose, he said. Sunday’s fire did about $10,000 damage, Pulver said.
He said authorities believe the fire was not a random act and that the arsonist targeted that building.
The extension cord had been used to power a dishwasher in the kitchen, said Bruce Pulver, deputy fire marshal.
Bothell firefighters broke through the front door to attack the flames, which burned the kitchen area. There was additional damage to a hair design and beauty supply business next door, Pzazz.
The accident, in the 4600 block of 116th Street NE, happened late Sunday afternoon. Bruce Pulver, deputy fire marshal, said she opened the valve to start the dryer when there was an explosion. Her husband had previously attempted to fix a leak in the tank, Pulver said.
A fire that started caused between $50,000 and $60,000 damage to the duplex where the couple live, Pulver said. The woman did not require hospitalization.
Police believe it was an apparent suicide. The woman had no identification, however, a note with the letters DNR was pinned to her windbreaker.
DNR is a common abbreviation for "do not resuscitate," said Marysville police Cmdr. Ralph Krusey.
The train’s engineer spotted a person lying on the tracks about 7 p.m. near the 9500 block of State Avenue. The train was not able to stop.
The fire, extinguished by Fire District 8, was reported about 9:30 p.m. Friday.
The fire spread from the laundry room into a hallway and living room area. Two small dogs died in the blaze, Hardesty said, but the home’s owner escaped without injury.
The meeting was originally scheduled for the final decision for developing a recommendation for the Everett City Council, but the commission has decided to add another meeting Dec. 18 and, if necessary, another one Dec. 19.
Michael J. Babcock, 31, of Everett touched the boy during a July 1999 sleepover at his home, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Tobin Darrow alleged in documents filed in Superior Court.
The child’s family had attended Sonrise Chapel in south Everett, where the defendant had served as a youth pastor, according to court papers.
Babcock admitted touching the boy sexually when questioned by a detective from the sheriff’s office, Darrow alleged. The questioning occurred with Babcock’s attorney present, he added.
Babcock is no longer employed by the church, the prosecutor wrote.
Out of the seven stores visited during the sting, three clerks sold alcohol and cigarettes to the boy. A clerk at a fourth store declined to sell alcohol to the boy, but did sell him cigarettes, said Sgt. Dan O’Neil, of the special investigations unit.
The four store clerks were cited for sale of tobacco or alcohol to a minor, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.
