A man accused of arson after authorities say he caused a major wildfire near Spokane, Washington, appears to have largely remained out of legal trouble for at least the first few years since his release from prison in 2020 after he fatally shot his adoptive father in Mesa a decade earlier.
Aaron Farinacci, now 37, was arrested on Oct. 11, 2010, after he got into an argument with his father over Farinacci not washing the dishes properly, according to court documents.
Farinacci then locked himself inside a bedroom and retrieved a .22-caliber handgun. When his father unlocked the door and entered the bedroom, Farinacci shot his father in the face before shooting him again in the back when his father tried to flee, documents said.
His father died of
his injuries.
Farinacci then fled from the residence on foot before shooting himself in the chest, though he would ultimately survive.
Initially indicted on one count of first-degree murder and aggravated assault, Farinacci later took a plea deal on Oct. 12, 2012, that reduced the murder charge to manslaughter.
Farinacci's stepmother said her husband had adopted Farinacci and his brother back in Dallas during a previous marriage when his then-wife left him to be with another man 18 months after they had finalized the adoption, according to a letter she wrote to a judge before Farinacci's sentencing.
Farinacci's father moved with the two boys to Arizona after gaining full custody and raised them as a single father before marrying her, the stepmother wrote. She described Farinacci's father as a loving father and devoted husband who worked hard to ensure his family was safe and happy.
Farinacci was ultimately sentenced to 12 years in prison for the manslaughter charge and three years' probation for the aggravated assault charge after his release, records show.
He was released from prison on Dec. 23, 2020, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry.
Starting a new life in Washington
A few months after his release from prison, Farinacci petitioned the court to modify the conditions of his probation and allow him to reside in the state of Washington, where he had a strong family support system, according to court records.
The request was granted, and Farinacci appeared mostly to follow the terms of his probation.
He had a full-time job and was living with his girlfriend and her family in the state of Washington, according to a court order to discharge him from probation filed on Jan. 8, 2024.
Farinacci was living with his brother before moving in with his girlfriend’s family, the order said. The documents did not specify where in Washington Farinacci was living at the time.
While he had been reprimanded multiple times for failing to complete a mental health evaluation, to participate in domestic violence treatment or to pay off his fines and fees, Farinacci did not have any outstanding warrants at the time, the document said.
Run-ins with law enforcement over Washington fires
Farinacci, now a Spokane resident, was arrested on a single charge of first-degree arson related to the Old Trails Fire, which sprang up on Saturday, Aug. 1, alongside two other major fires, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said at a news conference Aug. 3.
Major wildfires are devastating the eastern part of Washington, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing tens of thousands to flee.
Farinacci had been contacted by law enforcement in connection with two other fire incidents, according to charging documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Spokane police contacted him during an arson/fire call on July 8, 2025, though charging documents didn’t say why Farinacci was contacted.
Farinacci had a run-in with law enforcement again a month later when Washington State Patrol officers were "pursuing a possible suspect in (a) fire" on Aug. 11, 2025, before they encountered Farinacci "on a park bench seemingly out of breath, possibly from running."
A sheriff's deputy told Farinacci, who was allegedly carrying cigarettes, a lighter and waterproof matches, that three witnesses had spotted him near the fire. Farinacci said the witnesses "don't know 'the whole thing,'" denied starting the fire and was released.
Farinacci was photographed on that day wearing the same shirt he later had on when investigators stopped him on Aug. 1 about a mile away from the area where the Old Trails Fire broke out, court documents say.
His arraignment was scheduled Aug. 6 in Spokane County Superior Court.
Includes information from USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arson suspect moved from Arizona after prison stint for killing dad
