Thurston County deputies seek ID of arsonist who set fire to SUV and home in Olympia


Jeanne Rodriguez hasn't been able to live in her Olympia home since someone set her Ford Explorer on fire on January 28. The blaze quickly spread to her garage.



"I was awoken by this big loud whoosh," said Rodriguez, who rushed outside and saw flames. "Went back in the house. Called 911. Grabbed my two little dogs and exited before the fire took over the house."



Rodriguez thought the cause might have been an accidental electrical fire until she saw her neighbor's surveillance video. It shows a suspect described as a male in his late teens or early 20's walk down the street and then up her driveway. He had some sort of reflectors on his shoes.

"You can actually see a flash where the fire starts and then a suspect running ... and you can see as the fire grows and grows," said Detective Ben Elkins with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.

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Suspect ID'd as JASON EWELL (top 2 photos) --- Suspect ID'd as LARRY GUIDRY (bottom 2 photos)



As if Rodriguez hasn't been through enough, her home was then burglarized 12 days later.

Again, a suspect was seen on surveillance camera.

"He's walking up to the front porch area and then you'll see he'll go to the left of the house. We don't know if indeed this burglary suspect is the same suspect that was involved in the arson. If it is, he could be a danger to the community," said Elkins.

The burglar left with bags of stolen items, including precious mementos belonging to Rodriguez's grandparents, including her grandfather's Bulova watch. She cared for them in the home until they passed  away.

"I have things that were their belongings that induced memories of the times that we were together and they took those things and those are the things that really affected me the most," she said.

A credit card stolen from her home was also used at the Walmart in Lacey.

The suspect was wearing camouflage and has a ponytail.

"If you know the people, please speak up and say something because nobody should have to go through this again. It's absolutely one of the worst things in the world," said Rodriguez.

If you can identify any of the suspects, submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Olympia-Thurston County by using the P3 Tips App on your phone. You can also call 1-800-222-TIPS.

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CAPTURED: Jason Ewell (left) -- Larry Guidry (right)



FUGITIVE UPDATES March 31, 2017 --
Thurston County deputies arrested Jason Ewell -- shown above on the left -- on Friday after detectives say WMW viewer tips helped identify him as a burglary suspect who targeted Jeanne Rodriguez' home several days after someone set her Ford Explorer on fire on January 28. The blaze quickly spread to her garage and badly damaged her home.

Ewell was booked into the Thurston County Jail.

He's WMW Capture #871.

WMW tips also led to the identity of a second suspect we featured -- a man seen at the Walmart in Lacey using a credit card stolen from Jeanne's home -- as Larry Guidry. He's shown above on the right. Guidry was arrested Friday night and booked into the Thurston County Jail.

He is WMW Capture #872.



Detectives say Ewell and Guidry know each other, but believe Ewell's accused burglary and how Guidry gained possession of the stolen credit card happened separately.

The arson suspect who was caught on camera several days before, running from Jeanne's home as the fire erupts has not been identified.

If you know anything that can help detectives identify the arson suspect, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or use the P3 Tips App to submit your information.