Suspected arsonist in custody

By Terry Murry on Friday, January 27th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News Featured Stories

OTHELLO – A 35-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of arson and other charges following a Tuesday afternoon fire that destroyed a single-wide trailer west of Othello.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Adams County Fire District No. 5 and the Adams County Fire Marshal responded Tuesday at 3:13 p.m. to a fire on the 600 block of South Danielle Road, about a half mile west of the Othello city center. Upon arrival, the trailer was found to be fully engulfed in flames and unsalvageable. Firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to nearby properties.

Through their investigation, law enforcement and the fire marshal identified Petronilo Osorio-Mendoza of Othello to be responsible for the incident, but he had fled the area. He was located on Wednesday and taken into custody without incident.

Osorio-Mendoza was booked into the Adams County Jail for suspicion of first-degree arson and third-degree assault for an incident which occurred while in a temporary holding area of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

Photo via Adams County Sheriff’s Office