A violent attack at a Tacoma sober-living home in January has now turned fatal. Tacoma Police say a man who was critically injured in the Jan. 20 stabbing and house fire has died from his wounds, shifting the case into a homicide investigation nearly two months after the chaos first unfolded.
The department confirmed the death on March 17 and says the man arrested at the scene in January remains in custody while detectives and prosecutors revisit the charges in light of the new development.
What happened
Just before dawn on Jan. 20, Tacoma police and fire crews rushed to South 34th Street after multiple 911 callers reported both stabbings and a house fire at a recovery home. When first responders arrived, they found flames showing and residents scrambling out of upper floors in a desperate attempt to escape.
Several people had been stabbed, and three were taken to hospitals. One victim was flown to Harborview Medical Center in life-threatening condition, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
Arrest and charges
After a short search in the neighborhood, officers located a 29-year-old man nearby and took him into custody. Court documents and reporting say he was carrying a knife and items that could be used to start fires, and that he had blood on his hands when he was detained.
He was booked on multiple counts tied to the stabbings and the blaze. Early charging papers listed attempted murder and first-degree arson among the allegations, according to Law&Crime.
Police update and court status
On March 17, Tacoma Police announced that one of the men wounded in the Jan. 20 attack had died from his injuries and that the case is now being treated as a homicide. Officials say they expect the existing charges to be upgraded.
The department also reported that the defendant was found competent to stand trial on Feb. 19 and currently has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 12, according to KING 5.
Recovery home context
Earlier coverage identified the house as a registered clean-and-sober residence for people in recovery. Survivors who escaped the fire told investigators the violence erupted quickly in the pre-dawn hours, giving residents little time to react.
The incident has renewed questions about safety at sober homes and the level of oversight at group recovery residences in the area.
"It was pretty chaotic once officers got on scene; we had people self-evacuating from upper levels of the house," an officer said at the time. Tacoma Fire investigators later concluded that multiple small fires inside the home had been intentionally set.
The investigation remains active, and prosecutors are still reviewing evidence as they consider whether to file upgraded homicide charges, according to local reporting.
