Olympia man accused of arson at area gym expressed ‘discontent,’ court records show
A 31-year-old Olympia man accused of setting a martial arts business on fire is being held in Thurston County jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
Andrew Scott Clark attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Tuesday. Olympia police arrested him Monday on suspicion of causing the blaze that damaged Brazilian Jiu Jitsu of Olympia on Feb. 18.
Police allege Clark broke into west side business through a window, poured accelerant on the walls and started the fire, possibly with a cigar, The Olympian previously reported. Court records indicate Clark may have demonstrated concerning behavior that alarmed the business owner and other gym members prior to the incident.
The building still stands thanks to fire sprinklers that limited the damage. However, the blaze ruined flags, mats and the drywall.
A GoFundMe campaign for the business has raised $17,785 out of its $55,000 goal as of Wednesday afternoon. The campaign description notes over 300 members used the gym, including families, veterans, first responders and law enforcement.
“The resulting impact, caused tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage, and has temporarily closed the gyms doors,” the description says. “The goal is to rebuild as quickly as possible, but it’s expensive.”
Judge Carol Murphy set the bail amount for Clark on Tuesday after finding probable cause for two crimes: second-degree arson and burglary. In doing so, she reasoned there existed a substantial danger that Clark may commit a violent crime.
Clark has no known criminal convictions or open cases, according to court records.
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the alleged crimes from the perspective of law enforcement.
Olympia police responded to the scene at about 9:38 p.m. Feb. 18. Firefighters then pointed out evidence of possible forced entry and arson inside the building.
Accelerant had been thrown on the walls of the gym and some mats, according to the statement. Officers reportedly found a partial cigar, a red gas can, an open window with a cut screen and a black knife.
Two bottles of lighter fluid were found in a parking lot northwest of the building as well, per the statement. Lastly, a plastic cigar wrapper was found in the parking lot northwest of the building.
The owner of the gym and several gym members suspected Clark started the blaze based on a pattern of “alarming behavior,” according to the statement. Clark allegedly had expressed “discontent” with the owner and members of law enforcement who train at the gym in past.
One officers who goes to that gym alleged they witnesses Clark talk to the owner while holding a gas can early one morning in January. The officer also showed the detective concerning posts on Clark’s Instagram account.
The account has several posts where Clark appears to train at the business and smoke cigars. In other posts, he appears to express distrust toward law enforcement and the government.
Using surveillance footage from a nearby business, the detective managed to piece together how Clark allegedly entered the building and left the scene.
The detective also traced the cigar wrapper to a local wine store. A manager at the store showed the detective video footage of recent transactions for the cigar brand. One video allegedly shows Clark purchasing two cigars.
The store manager then looked up the customer’s loyalty account information. That search allegedly yielded an email address that matched the username of Clark’s Instagram account.
The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Clark with second-degree arson and burglary on Feb. 22, according to court records. An arrest warrant was issued the next day.
Police arrested Clark on Monday after he was spotted in the area of Harrison Avenue and Division Street, Lt. Paul Lower previously said.
This story was originally published February 29, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
