Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Gas Station Truck Fire

TACOMA, WA — A 54-year-old man faces arson and attempted murder charges after prosecutors said he lit a truck full of railroad employees on fire at a Tacoma gas station Tuesday morning.

Probable cause documents filed in Pierce County Wednesday afternoon identified the suspect as Greg Ketzenberg.

Tacoma Police were called to a 76 station on the 1300 block of Puyallup Avenue at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. According to detectives, the victims told police a man had removed the gas nozzle while it was in use, then spilled gas on the truck and ignited the blaze. Police said three BNSF Railway workers were inside the truck when it went up in flames, but everyone was able to escape with minimal injuries.

The man suspected of starting the blaze was later arrested by BNSF Railroad Police.

Prosecutors said the victims noticed a large fire near the gas tank and saw a man running from the parking lot. In an interview with detectives, witnesses described a "massive amount of heat" inside the truck and worried it might explode.

Police officers reviewed surveillance video at the gas station and sent images of a suspect to BNSF. According to prosecutors, a special agent with the railway quickly spotted a man with similar features and clothes walking along Puyallup Avenue. The suspect was taken into custody and later identified as Ketzenberg. He faces one count of first-degree arson and three counts of second-degree attempted murder.