Bellevue Student Arrested For Setting Mosque Fire

BELLEVUE, WA - Bellevue police have arrested an 18-year-old Bellevue man for burning the Islamic Center of Eastside mosque last week. Police say that the crime was not motivated by hate or racism, however.

The man arrested is a Bellevue School District student, but police did not name which school he attends.

Bellevue police said in a statement:

"After viewing this new video, and after additional follow up investigation, detectives were able to identify the individuals in the footage with assistance from Bellevue Police school resource officers who recognized the individuals. The suspects were located this past Tuesday with assistance from the Bellevue Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team, and brought to the Bellevue Police Department for questioning. After interviewing all of the individuals, the primary suspect, an 18-year-old Bellevue resident, was identified by investigators as the person believed to have started the fire. The suspect was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of first degree arson. There was no indication that the fire was a hate crime or bias-related."

A fire broke out at the Islamic Center of Eastside's former mosque along the 14700 block of Main Street last Thursday afternoon. The building was burned for the first time in January 2017 by Isaac Wayne Wilson, 37.

The mosque was vacant last week when it burned for a second time. Islamic Center of Eastside officials have pledged to rebuild the mosque. Worshipers have been renting spaces around Bellevue since last year's fire.

Image courtesy Bellevue police