- Timothy Devone West, a former volunteer firefighter, was arrested for alleged arson.
- West, previously imprisoned for a 2014 wildfire, has been linked to new fires.
- He admitted being near the fires but denied involvement; evidence suggests otherwise.
STOCKTON, Tooele County — A former volunteer firefighter in Tooele County with a history of intentionally setting fires — who served several years in prison for sparking a wildfire in 2014 that forced evacuations — has been arrested again for allegedly setting new fires.
Timothy Devone West, 39, was booked into the Tooele County Jail on Wednesday and charged on Thursday in 3rd District Court with three counts of arson, a second-degree felony; damaging a jail, a third-degree felony; and three counts of reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for Friday morning.
Wednesday night, emergency crews were notified of a fire in Stockton that "was threatening structures in the area and evacuation was underway," according to a police booking affidavit. Police later learned of a second fire in the Lake Point area about 8:45 p.m.
"It was found the fire in Lake Point had two ignition points, meaning two different attempts of ignition," the affidavit states.
Investigators responding to the scene learned that West was seen running from the area and wearing a headlamp and "knocking on neighbors' doors notifying them of the fire," according to the police booking report. "It should be noted of the three fires that were ignited in Tooele County, Timothy admitted to being in the area of the fires at the time they were reported but denied having any involvement."
Detectives questioned West about where he had been that night, and he gave a story that police say was contradicted by license plate-reading cameras that showed his vehicle in other areas, the affidavit states.
"Due to Timothy having lied about his path of travel, and his vehicle being on the linear route of where one reported fire was, he was informed he was being placed under arrest for arson. During the process of transporting Timothy to the booking area of the Tooele County Detention Center, Timothy stated he would rather die than go to prison. When I asked what made him believe he was going back to prison, he stated it was strike three for him, suggesting he was involved in the ignition of the fires," according to the affidavit.
While West was being booked into jail, officers found "a black and white substance consistent with a 'soot' like substance derived from a fire and burnt material" on his boots.
In 2015, West, a former volunteer firefighter in the Stockton area, pleaded guilty to arson and causing a catastrophe. He was sentenced to up to five years in the Utah State Prison, with the judge recommending to the Board of Pardons and Parole that West "enter into mental health counseling at the prison," according to court records. West was paroled in 2018.
In that case, West rode his ATV to Stockton Ball Field, where he lit a fire that threatened nearby homes. Eight homes were evacuated and three homes suffered some exterior damage. The 179-acre fire also burned several sheds and forced residents to temporarily use alternative sources for water.
In 2011, West pleaded guilty to arson, a class B misdemeanor, in South Jordan Justice Court for a fire in the Daybreak community, according to court records. And in 2010, he was convicted of two counts of arson, a class A misdemeanor, in Tooele County's 3rd District Court and placed on two years' probation.
West was also convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a 17-year-old by pleading no contest in 2022 in 4th District Court.
