Man with prior arson convictions arrested in connection with multiple Utah wildfires

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

TOOELE, Utah (ABC4) — A Utah man has been arrested in connection with multiple Tooele County wildfires.

Timothy West, 39, has been arrested on three counts of arson (second-degree felony), one count of causing a catastrophe (Class A misdemeanor), and one count of damaging a jail (third-degree felony).

According to the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office, the arrest comes after two fires were reported in Tooele County on June 10, one in the Lake Point area and the other in Stockton.

The Stockton Fire Department, which is made up completely of volunteer firefighters, evacuated several residents, including Diann Hickman. Hickman said, “There were tall flames. They looked like they were right behind our house, but they were actually just to the side.”

She continued, “If they would have been here five, ten minutes later, we wouldn’t have a house.”

“The fire department got here, they attacked it, they put it out, I don’t want to say record time, but they did a very fast job of putting out the flames,” added Stockton Mayor Joe Johnston.

Unfortunately, while these fires were put out quickly, the concern over wildfires remains high. Utah Fire Info reports that there have been 239 fires this year and 204 of those have been human caused.

The sentiment is especially felt in Stockton, after the South Mountain Fire burned over 1800 acres just a few miles away. Johnson stated, “I cringe every time I walk out the front door at my house every day. I’m like, ‘What’s going to happen next?’ It’s a tinder box out here.”

With high fire danger, fire officials are asking Utah residents to do what they can to prevent fires. Karl Hunt, with Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, stated “Prevention is the key to fighting wildfire. It’s easier to prevent a wildfire than it is to fight a wildfire.”

“We have a town ordinance where if your weeds are a certain height, they need to be below ten inches. That needs to be taken care of,” added Johnston. “There are a lot of residents in this town that have not really accomplished that yet and they need to mitigate any potential fire risk that could happen.”

Ongoing investigation

As for the Lake Point and Stockton fires, the investigation is ongoing. However, witness statements, surveillance footage, and vehicle descriptions placed Timothy West on scene of both. While he reportedly knocked on doors to notify residents of the fire, he did not live in or near the area, did not appear to have a reason to be there, and had previous arson convictions.

Due to the circumstances, West was booked into the Tooele County Jail.

During the process of transporting him to the booking area, he stated he would “rather die than go to prison,” and said “it was strike three”, indicating he knew the fires were arson and had been involved. While being booked into jail, officers found a soot-like substance on West’s boots.

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Court records show that West has a history of arson, with prior convictions in 2010 and 2014. In 2010, he plead guilty to arson and causing a catastrophe. In 2014, West plead guilty to two counts of arson.

The 2014 fire was on the East Mountain in north Stockton. Damages exceeded $5,000 in value. There are no further details on the 2010 conviction.

The sheriff’s office is requesting residents and businesses in Stockton to review any surveillance or security camera footage and report any suspicious activity or relevant information relatd to this fire to Tooele County Dispatch at (435) 882-5600.

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