A man prosecutors say set a fire at a Capitol Hill nightclub was sentenced today after pleading guilty to an arson charge tied to a November 2025 blaze.A judge
A man prosecutors say set a fire at a Capitol Hill nightclub was sentenced today after pleading guilty to an arson charge tied to a November 2025 blaze.
A judge sentenced David Tait Jr. to 12 months after he pleaded guilty to second-degree arson.
Tait received credit for time already served; he has been in custody for 274 days.
Fire at Neighbours
According to Seattle police, employees at Neighbours called 911 around 10:15 p.m. on Nov. 2 2025, to report a fire at the business.
Surveillance videos from the nightclub showed a male in a hoodie approaching the entrance and lighting a fire in an alcove. The fire triggered the club's fire alarms.
Firefighters responded and extinguished the fire before it spread to the rest of the building.
About 30 minutes later, police responded to a report of a person lighting fires about a block away on 11th Ave.
A bystander flagged down a Seattle police officer and reported someone had just lit a fire under a pickup truck.
Police located Tait in the area and detained him because he matched the description of the suspect from the fire at Neighbours.
During a search, police found a large can of butane in Tait's pants pocket and a lighter. Officers also discovered that Tait had an active warrant for a prior felony case of reckless burning.
At his sentencing Friday, the judge also ordered Tait to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment after his release from jail.
A hearing on restitution will be determined at a later date.
Connection to prior fires
Court records show Tait has been charged in connection with arson and reckless burning for years.
In October 2025, Tait was arrested for allegedly starting a fire inside the Pitts Campbell Apartments in Seattle's Yesler Terrace neighborhood. The facility provides supportive housing and is operated by Plymouth Housing.
According to the arrest report, staff at the facility told investigators that Tait "had a history of starting fires in his apartment" and that his latest fire had caused extensive damage.
Residents at the facility said they saw Tait run away from the building after the fire. Tait returned to the building the next day and was arrested.
According to Seattle fire investigators, there were two fires intentionally started in Tait's unit - one burned a pile of laundry, and the other burned a mattress. Fire crews located a butane torch in the apartment.
