Kennewick man suspected of setting fires near mall

A 50-year-old Kennewick man is suspected of setting three small fires just blocks from Columbia Center mall Friday morning.

The man was seen wandering around near a series of small brush fires on the 8600 block of West Victoria Avenue, police said. He ran when officers tried to approach him.

Police knew the man and believed he was suffering from a mental health crisis. They went to his home and took him Benton Franklin Crisis Response to be checked.

Charges are pending, police said.

This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Kennewick man suspected of setting fires near mall."