U.S. Marshals arrest 2nd suspect in fatal Chelan Hills Fire
Video shows teens shooting fireworks that allegedly started Chelan Hills Fire
New video shows the moments several teens fired fireworks off the back of a moving truck, which sparked the deadly Chelan Hills Fire.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that a second suspect has been arrested in connection with the Chelan Hills Fire that torched 15 square miles and led to a fatality.
The sheriff's office announced they received notice from the U.S. Marshals Service that they had found and arrested another suspect, a 19-year-old, at his home in University Place. U.S. Marshals delivered him to county authorities at the Tacoma Federal Courthouse.
"I'm pleased with the partnership with all the agencies that have been helping bring closure to this case," said Douglas County Sheriff Tyler Caille. "This is something I promised the residents we would follow through with. We would be relentless, and we would not give up on until we brought everybody into custody."
The second suspect is charged with first-degree manslaughter, first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief and six counts of third-degree assault.
U.S. Marshals arrest photo.
Authorities arresting suspects seen in viral video
Authorities previously took 18-year-old Michael Yakimov into custody in early September in connection to the Chelan Hills Fire. On Thursday, Yakimov pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
"Crimes they’re being arrested for are going to affect them for the rest of their lives. They will never be able to get away from these crimes," said Sheriff Caille.
Yakimov's family spoke with FOX 13 Seattle after his court appearance on Sept. 3. They say they do not believe he started the fire, and that the other people involved should be held accountable, as well.
"We do have three other outstanding warrants, and those three individuals are currently being sought as we speak," said Sheriff Caille. "I basically asked for everybody to turn themselves in and do the right thing. Otherwise, we would come find you."
Video released this week shows a group of teens sitting in the bed of a truck as it speeds down a road, lighting off illegal fireworks into the air and at passing cars. Investigators believe these teenagers sparked the deadly Chelan Hills Fire, which left one person dead, and destroyed homes, structures, and vehicles across 59 listed property entries.
"If they would have stepped forward the night of the incident or even the next day and said, you know, I believe I had some involvement with this or this might have been something caused by things that we were doing, it would be a little different. But the fact that we're two and a half months into this investigation now, they've been spoken to. Obviously, there's been enough media coverage from this. There's no hiding from what happened," said the sheriff.
Court documents listed the total estimated damages at $6,147,100.00. A Department of Natural Resources (DNR) firefighting vehicle was also destroyed by the fire, and another DNR apparatus sustained major front-end damage in a crash caused by thick smoke.
"No matter who we bring to justice, it's not going to bring back the loss of life, the loss of property and the impact that it placed upon everybody being affected," said Sheriff Caille.
Chelan Hills fire burns in Douglas County near Lake Chelan, Washington
What's next:
The sheriff's office says there are arrest warrants out for three more suspects in this case. The 19-year-old is scheduled for a hearing at Douglas County Superior Court on Friday afternoon.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, as well as previous coverage from FOX 13 Seattle.