Moses Lake man to serve time for arson

Burned home belonging to ex-girlfriend's parents

EPHRATA - An 18-year-old Moses Lake man will serve six months in jail and be placed on 12 months of community supervision for setting his ex-girlfriend's parents' home on fire in December.

Dustin David Jones pleaded guilty on Feb. 4 in Grant County Superior Court to second-degree arson and second-degree burglary.

The damaged home in the Cascade Valley near Moses Lake was owned by the parents of his 16-year-old former girlfriend, court documents state.

The home was under construction in December and floor joists, subflooring, walls and trusses were damaged in the fire. No one was injured in the blaze.

The couple dated for about a year and broke up roughly a month before the fire. Jones reportedly became upset because she found a new boyfriend, court documents state.

On Dec. 14, Jones sent the girl threatening text messages telling her that "she would see tonight," and that it would not be at her house, implying not at the one she lived, according to court documents.

A video was attached to one of the text messages from Jones to the girl that showed a person beating and kicking a person.

The video was followed by a message that said "this is how I dealt with the last person who crossed me." The video was time- and date-stamped Dec. 14, six days before the fire.

When questioned by authorities, Jones initially denied involvement.

An investigator later served a search warrant and found shoes in Jones' bedroom that matched tracks from the scene.

Jones later admitted he set the blaze by lighting a newspaper on fire and placing it near a wall on the floor. He also said he stomped out the fire before leaving and was accompanied by a 17-year-old male and Phillip Osborne, 19, of Moses Lake.

Jones and the 17-year-old boy later returned to the fire because they didn't see it burning while watching the home from a hill, the 17-year-old told an investigator.

They reportedly picked up a free publication from a nearby grocery store and returned to the home while Osborne waited with Jones' truck, the 17-year-old said. Jones used the publication to start a second fire near the staircase.

Charges had not been filed Wednesday against the 17-year-old or Osborne, according to the clerk's office