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Jan. 20, 2022 — Redmond police charged a 23-year-old local man with second-degree arson and second-degree burglary in connection with a fire that destroyed Tropea Ristorante Italiano and damaged several nearby businesses in a downtown strip mall near Northeast 87th Street and 161st Avenue Northeast.
The suspect, identified as Tyndal Cubbo Santos Marirur, who also goes by Tyn Santos, was arrested on Jan. 19 on unrelated charges and formally charged in the arson and burglary case the following day, according to Redmond police and local reports.
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2022, in the Bella Bottega shopping area, also known as the Marbella shopping plaza, located in the 16000 block of Northeast 87th Street. Redmond Fire Department crews responded to heavy flames and smoke coming from Tropea Ristorante Italiano, a longtime business that had operated in Redmond since 1996.
Due to the building’s shared attic space, the fire spread quickly, destroying Tropea and at least one neighboring business while causing damage to Redmond Pilates Center, Namaste Indian Restaurant, Sip Thai Bistro, and Ocean Optica. No injuries were reported.
Redmond Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Healy said the structure of the older building contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, explaining that the flames moved through a common attic space.
Investigators later determined the fire was intentionally set. At the time, police had asked anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts before the fire to contact Redmond police.
Local business owners described significant losses. Courtney Christine, owner of Redmond Pilates Center, said the fire destroyed equipment she had built up over more than a decade.
“Everything was starting to recover (from COVID-19) pretty well and then this morning, it is on fire.”
“All of the equipment for Pilates is extremely expensive and it’s been a collection that I’ve made over the last 11 years.”
She said the business had just begun recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic when the fire occurred. Community members later organized fundraising efforts to help affected businesses recover, including a GoFundMe campaign that raised tens of thousands of dollars for Tropea’s staff.
The Redmond Police Department announced the charges in a social media post, while Tropea’s owners shared their reaction following the suspect’s arrest.
