A witness’s description and automatic license plate reader cameras helped Kittitas County, Washington, investigators quickly identify and arrest a man suspected of starting a fire near the Yakima River Canyon, KOMO reported on July 13, 2026. A caller saw a man throw something burning into dry grass at Helen McCabe Park and gave part of the license plate. Investigators entered the partial plate into the reader system, found a matching Toyota, and deputies arrested its 72-year-old owner about an hour after a camera in Easton alerted them.
At a glance
- Agency
- Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office
- Fire
- Friday, July 10, 2026, about 5:45 p.m., Helen McCabe Park on state Route 821
- Witness gave
- A description of the man, his car and several characters of the plate
- Alert
- 7:37 p.m.: a camera in Easton spotted the vehicle heading toward a gas station
- Found
- About an hour later: the car and its owner, a 72-year-old Tacoma man
- Arrest
- On suspicion of arson
How the plate reader helped
This is what the report says about the technology’s role.
- Investigators entered the partial plate into the reader system used by local agencies.
- Within minutes it identified a tan or gold Toyota that had traveled toward the park shortly before the fire.
- They entered the full plate so deputies would be alerted when another camera saw it.
The outcome
- A 72-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson, based on witness statements, camera records, timing and vehicle information.
In the news
“The witness described the man, his vehicle, and several characters from the license plate, the sheriff’s office said.”
The excerpt is quoted word for word. The rest of this page paraphrases the same report, so names, dates and figures are the reporter’s or the agency’s, not ours. Where a report does not say something, we do not guess.
Context and caveats
- The sheriff’s office also acknowledged concerns about the security, use and potential misuse of plate reader data.
- Arrest on suspicion is not a conviction.
License plate readers are one investigative tool among several. They flag vehicles and give investigators leads; officers, detectives and the public do the rest, and every lead still has to be verified. For how agencies govern the technology, see our policy and data-retention guide and the accuracy guide.
How Intelvi AI fits
See the plate.See the whole story.
Intelvi AI pairs real-time plate recognition with continuous video in one solar-powered, off-grid camera, so a plate read comes with the scene around it.
Search can jump from a partial plate to the exact camera and moment.
Protecting privacy is paramount. Intelvi AI delivers robust features designed to safeguard individual privacy while helping keep communities safe.
Frequently asked questions
How can police search with only part of a plate?
A witness supplied several characters; investigators entered the partial plate into the reader system, which returned a matching vehicle, KOMO reported.
How quick was the arrest?
Deputies found the car and its owner about an hour after a camera alert at 7:37 p.m., roughly two hours after the 5:45 p.m. fire reports.