UPDATE 02/13/2023 at 01:16 pm:
Police received a report from a community member about a man matching the suspect description just before 01:00 a.m. today.
Officers searched the area and found the man walking westbound on West Dravus Street.
The 55-year-old male suspect was arrested for reckless burning and booked into King County Jail.
Seattle Police responded to assist Seattle Fire Department with a fire of an elementary school early evening in the Magnolia neighborhood.
Just before 07:30 p.m., officers arrived in the 2500 block of 34th Avenue West and secured the scene.
A witness reported seeing a man setting a fire on the school property then leave once the surrounding building caught fire. It appears the man was within an alcove near an entrance of the school.
The male suspect was described as a white male in his 30’s with sandy brown shoulder length hair and shaggy brown beard. The suspect was last seen wearing a gray beanie, girls purple coat with white stripes and girls black yoga pants.
The fire caused substantial damage to the school property starting from the exterior and spreading into the interior before it was extinguished. The cost of repair is unknown at this time.
SPD Arson/Bomb detectives will be leading the ongoing investigation.
If you have any information about this incident, please call SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.