Mercer Island man arrested in West Seattle arson case

A Mercer Island attorney was arrested this week in connection to a house fire in West Seattle on Tuesday.

A Mercer Island attorney was arrested this week in connection to a house fire in West Seattle on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old man was kept in custody following his arrest on Wednesday, according to reports. Seattle Police suspect that he started a fire at a West Seattle house, of which he is listed as a co-owner with his ex-wife, on Tuesday morning.

Police were called to the West Seattle home Tuesday after they received a call about a suicidal man near the house. He told police he had been in the home, asleep, and had woken up to find it on fire. He had previously threatened to his ex-wife and to kill himself if she didn’t come back to him.

According to reports, the man’s ex-wife lives at the West Seattle home which caught fire, while the man lived on Mercer Island.

He pleaded guilty in May to threatening a Seattle Municipal Court judge and to violating a protection order held by his ex-wife. He was sentenced to a 12-month suspended sentence and two years of probation.

The Washington State Bar Association lists his license as suspended.