SNOHOMISH — A Snohomish tanning salon owner has been arrested on suspicion of arson nearly a year after firefighters extinguished a smoldering fire inside her business.
Police say accelerants were used behind a dryer, but the Feb. 4, 2010, fire was stopped before it could spread.
Someone could have been seriously hurt, police said.
“Because of the accelerants, had the fire actually gotten really started, you could have had an explosion there,” Snohomish Police Department Cmdr. A.J. Bryant said.
Lori D. Shavlik, 41, was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of first-degree arson and attempted first-degree arson. She was released on her personal recognizance after an appearance in Everett District Court on Thursday.
Detectives spent nearly 11 months investigating the case, Bryant said. They believe three arson attempts were made to start a fire at Tan Line Inc., 1205 Avenue D, within a one-month period.
At the Feb. 4 fire, police said they found a full canister of the stain remover “Goof Off,” sponges soaked in solvent and dryer lint in the wall of the laundry room, according to an police affidavit of probable cause.
That morning, an employee with an infant arrived to open the salon and discovered smoke filling the shop. She called 911.
The suspect told investigators she arrived at the salon earlier in the morning but had forgotten her keys, so didn’t go inside. That contradicted a statement from someone working at a nearby business who said he saw her enter the salon.
Investigators said the suspect has “a conservative estimated debt of over $500,000,” according to police reports.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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