Springfield Police say a suspect is in custody and has been charged with murder and arson after a fire claimed two lives on Wednesday.
Police say Justin Carr, 29, was apprehended by police in Washington through the use of an Automated License Plate Reader. A press release did not specify the location of Carr's arrest, but said it happened "with the assistance of the Hoquiam Police Department and the Aberdeen Police Department." The two cities are about 50 miles west of the state capital of Olympia.
Carr is accused of setting a fire in a mobile home where he lived at the Santiago Mobile Home Park, 5335 Main St. in Springfield.
A 64-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say his 85-year-old mother was taken to the hospital but died of her injuries. The two victims were not publicly identified.
"It was learned through evidence located at the scene that the fire was not started through accidental means," police said in the press release, which also said that an investigation found that Carr "left the location as the fire was growing."
Carr was described by police as a “family member” of the victims. He's been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of arson, and one count of
"Unlawful Manufacture of a Destruction Device."