Bellevue Mosque Burning: Suspect Formally Charged With Arson

BELLEVUE, WA - The man suspected of setting the Islamic Center of Eastside on fire over the weekend was formally charged with arson on Tuesday.

Isaac Wayne Wilson, 37, is being held on $1 million bail, according to King County Records. He was charged with second-degree arson, which involves the intentional burning of a structure where no humans are involved. The mosque was empty at the time of the fire.

Wilson was known to the mosque before the fire, having been convicted of committing an assault there over the summer, according to court records.

According to reports, police found Wilson lying down in a parking lot behind the mosque during the fire. Court documents indicate that, when approached by police, Wilson said to an officer, "I did it." There's also surveillance video of a person - alleged to be Wilson - approaching the mosque with a jug full of liquid moments before the fire starts.

The fire broke out early Saturday morning. Bellevue firefighters were able to save half of the building and some religious items, but the mosque was damaged beyond the point of being usable. Since the fire, mosque members have been meeting at the Highland Community Center.

Members of the mosque have started a fundraiser to rebuild the mosque.

Image via the Bellevue Fire Department