Police looking for serial arsonist who set 7 fires in Redmond; 'It’s happening in the middle of the night'

REDMOND, Wash. - Police are looking for an arsonist who has, so far, set 7 different fires in Redmond. Six of the 7 cases are car fires.

The intense flames that ate away at a car overnight September 28th also burned up the carport above it.

“It was at an apartment complex so it could have very easily spread to other cars or buildings, structures, put people’s lives in danger,” Redmond Police Spokesperson Andrea Wolf- Buck said.

It happened at Elevation Apartments and detectives say the arsonist there also set a small fire outside of the apartment’s leasing office and also inside another car. Those smaller flames died down before firefighters got to the scene.

Four days before the cases at Elevation Apartments, detectives say the suspect went after four cars in downtown Redmond at least one of them in the 16,900 block of NE 80th Street.

“We are taking this very seriously which is why we are investigating thoroughly and trying to find who is responsible,” Wolf-Buck said.

The arsonist is striking overnight when people are sleeping and the one thing all the car cases have in common is that all were left unlocked.

Detectives say nothing of value have been taken from any of the cars just their front seats lit on fire.

“You can’t really feel safe about that! You're going to sleep -- it’s happening in the middle of the night,” Scott Hawkins said.

Hawkins who works in Redmond says he knows what it feels like to wake up to a car on fire. While living in Alaska he says someone set his neighbors vehicle on fire and it spread to his wife’s car.

“It can be a really devastating experience if you don’t have vandalism insurance you are not going to be able to process a claim to get your money back,” Hawkins said.

With no motive and no suspect description yet, people who live around the area say they are being more vigilant.

“I used to park my car out on the street a little, not anymore, I do lock it and make sure I park my car underground,” Redmond resident Xavier Lambarri said.

Redmond police say they hope fingerprint technology will help them get information on the suspect. They do not have any surveillance images yet. If you have any information call Redmond Police.