YAKTRINEWS.COM, PASCO, WA - A man was arrested by Pasco Police for allegedly attempting to set fires outside the door of three apartments shortly after midnight on Monday. According to a Facebook post by the Pasco Police, officers responded to the 200-block of W Shoshone St. on Monday. There, officers made contact with the suspect — Edgar Rolon Rodriguez — in a smoky upper hallway. He had numerous items with him including a propane torch, a baseball bat and a large screwdriver. One of the nearby apartments had burning material placed against the bottom edge of the door. Officers say it was already extinguished by the time they arrived, but they noticed that two other apartment doors were damaged in a similar manner. Firefighters responded to the scene shortly after the police. By using thermal readings, fire crews determined that accelerants were used to ignite fires at each of the doors. Officers suspect that one of the motives was to force people out of their apartments to confront them. However, officers spoke to occupants of these apartments and none of them knew anything about Rodriguez. Pasco police officers booked Rodriguez into Franklin County Jail on an investigative hold for arson to the first degree.

At this point, Pasco Police are still asking anyone with information about this case to reach out to provide further context. If you or someone you know has information to contribute, you can reach out to Pasco Police dispatch at (509)628-0333. Additionally, you can email Officer Jason Nuñez at nunezj@pasco-wa.gov about the case. In either instance, cite Case No. 21-13916 (Arson).