SEATTLE — UPDATE: A 22-year-old man was arrested late Thursday night in connection with a series of arsons in West Seattle, police said.
They identified the man as Jacob Kokko.
The man was carrying a lighter when he was arrested inside Shadowland on California Avenue, according to the police report.
Police say Kokko confessed to setting several of the fires.
He told detectives he lit the fires because he was "looking for help", according to court documents.
KIRO 7 discovered Kokko was evicted from his West Seattle apartment in September. He recently moved to the 6500 block of 34th Ave SW, close to where many of the fires were set.
Police said he is linked to four West Seattle fires, including the incidents captured on surveillance video on the October 12th and Halloween.
They are still investigating his connection to the rest of the arsons.
Kokko worked as a cook in downtown Seattle.
Friends say he worked nights and took the bus home to West Seattle. Most of the fires were set after midnight.
One of Kokko's neighbors saw the video released by Seattle Police and recognized Kokko.
Police say she even noticed he smelled like smoke after one of the fires was set in the neighborhood.
Kokko was arrested at Shadowland on California Avenue Thursday night. He was there to talk to the chef about a job.
That chef told KIRO 7 he'd planned to hire Kokko and was impressed with his abilities as a cook. He had trouble believing Kokko could be responsible.
"He was here to follow up on the job that I promised him, and that's when officers took him into custody," said Jeremy.
He said Kokko has a promising future as a chef.
When asked about the arrest he said, "Tragic—if he was involved then we need to get him the help he deserves."
People who live and work in the neighborhood expressed relief.
"We're definitely glad the person is caught and we're happy we were able to cooperate with police," said Fran Yeatts, Executive Director of the West Seattle Food Bank.
She also expressed concern for the suspect: "I hope with this experience that they are scared enough, knowing this won't happen again and the potential for serious problems is there.”
Kokko's parents attended his bail hearing Friday afternoon at the King County Jail but chose not to answer questions outside the jail.
The prosecutor asked for bail to be set at $150,000.
Instead, the judge set bail at $300,000.
She told the court she believed Kokko was a danger to the community.
Here's video of the suspect from late last month:
EARLIER STORY: Police are looking for a person of interest in multiple West Seattle fires.
In one of the incidents, two cars were set on fire about 4:45 a.m. Sunday in the 2700 block of Southwest Sylvan Heights. Both vehicles were parked on the street and had significant fire damage before flames were extinguished.
“In a separate incident about 24 hours later, officers and firefighters responded to a fire in an entryway of a commercial building in the 6500 block of 35 Ave SW around 3:30 AM Monday,” Officer Lauren Lovanhill said in a statement. “The fire caused exterior damage to the lower level of the building as well interior damage as the flames passed through a broken window.
“SPD arson detectives are investigating the two incidents, but say they have not found anything connecting the cases. Police do not currently believe Monday’s fire on 35th Ave SW was set with the intent of targeting any of the tenants of three offices on the property.”
On Wednesday, police offered a $10,000 reward for information about the fires. All occurred between 2:30 and 4:45 a.m. in the High Point neighborhood. A recap of all the fires is below:
- Oct. 12, 2:40 a.m.: 3500 block of Southwest Morgan St. A box and trash can were on fire
- Oct. 18, 4:45 a.m.: 2700 block of Sylvan Heights Dr. Two vehicle fires
- Oct. 19, 3:15 a.m. : 6500 block of 35th Ave. S.W. Recycle bin burned
- Oct. 21, 2:30 a.m.: 6500 block of 40th Ave. S.W. Recycling bin and fence burned
On Thursday, police released video from the Oct. 12 incident. They are trying to identify a person of interest who was seem walking in the area, weather black clothing and carrying a black bag toward a bus shelter.
“The surveillance camera did not capture the individual’s face, but police believe the person is a white or light-skinned male,” Lovanhill said. “Detectives are hoping someone out there will recognize the person’s clothing or may have seen him in West Seattle around the time of the fires. If you have any information about this person or this case, please contact detectives at (206) 684-8980 or call 911.”
KIRO
