According to Seattle Police Department documents, the fire that caused this damage at Rosewood Guitars was caused when Kevin Swalwell lit a bag of free clothes from a thrift store on fire.
Kevin Swalwell has been charged with 11 counts of arson and one count of burglary for his alleged involvement in a string of fires that have plagued Greenwood since August, according to documents from the King County Prosecutor's Office.
Eight counts of second degree arson, an arson in which lives were not put at risk, have been leveled for a June 19 fire at the OK Corral, an Aug. 12 house fire, an Aug. 13 fire at O-Rings West, Nov. 5 fires at a Greenwood CPA office and Rosewood Guitars, a Nov. 8 fire at Moonphoto and Nov. 9 fires at Olive You and the QuickStop in Greenwood.
Three counts of first degree arson, an arson in which lives, including those of firefighters, are put at risk, haven been charged for an Aug. 13 house fire in which a resident was severely burned, the Oct. 23 fire at the Green Bean Coffee House that destroyed four businesses and damaged two others, and the Nov. 12 fire at a Shoreline warehouse at which Swalwell was apprehended.
Swalwell has been charged with second degree burglary for unlawfully entering the Green Bean Coffee House. According to Seattle Police Department documents, Swalwell stole a safe and file cabinet from the coffeehouse.
According to Police Department documents, Swalwell was arrested after the Nov. 12 fire based on forensic evidence, witness statements and his presence in the vicinity of at least four of the fires.
Swalwell has admitted responsibility for all 11 of the fires, according to police documents.
According to police documents, his descriptions of how he started the fires – pushing lit cardboard through a mail slot at O-Rings West, using lighter fluid on recycle containers next to a house, setting a bag of free clothing on fire at Rosewood Guitars – match with the findings of Fire Department investigators.
Swalwell's fingerprints were found on a can of lighter fluid near the Aug. 13 house fire, according to police documents.
According to documents, he gave a false name to police officers near the Moonphoto fire and was seen on security cameras smoking near Olive You minutes before the fire.
Swalwell was able to lead police to the missing Green Bean safe and file cabinet, according to documents.
According to the King County Prosecutor's Office, the charges against Swalwell carry a standard sentence range of 108 months to 144 months in prison. Prosecutors intend to seek a sentence above the standard range, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
Swalwell is scheduled for arraignment Dec. 1.
Bail has been set at $1 million.