Police: Woman arrested after causing $2 million in water damage to Tacoma apartment building

TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma police arrested a 42-year-old woman accused of vandalizing a fire standpipe in an apartment stairway on Friday, resulting in $2 million in water damage.

A standpipe is a type of water piping that can be built into multi-story buildings, which allows firefighters to access a local water supply, much like a fire hydrant does.

The 64-unit apartment building located on South G Street, which mainly houses elderly and disabled residents, was vandalized on Thursday, according to the Tacoma Police Department.

Tenants in 32 of the building’s units were displaced.

The 42-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of malicious mischief on Friday.

Police have not shared how the woman vandalized the standpipe or if she was a resident of the building.

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