Tooele County Man Arrested on Arson Charges After Overnight Wildfires

Overview

• Multiple brush fires that were reported Wednesday night burned more than four acres near Stockton and Lake Point, threatened nearby homes, and prompted evacuation preparations before crews contained them by morning.
• Timothy Devone West, 39, was detained by deputies and charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of arson, three counts of reckless endangerment, and a charge of damaging a jail; he is being held without bail and has an initial court appearance scheduled.
• Investigators say neighbor surveillance showed West arriving home minutes before a fire was first seen on camera and running door-to-door with a headlamp, while license-plate (FLOCK) cameras put his vehicle near an ignition site in a route that contradicted his account.
• Officers reported finding a black-and-white soot-like substance on West’s boots during booking and quote him as saying he would rather die than return to prison; court records show prior arson convictions, including a 2014 wildfire that led to prison time and parole in 2018.
• The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents and businesses in Stockton and Lake Point to submit any surveillance or dash-camera footage to help finish the probe, and neighbors have begun cleanup and emergency preparedness after the fires threatened homes and livestock.