Break-in at Washington state Capitol damages "historical artifacts"

Zoom in: The acts of vandalism included arson, although the fire was put out and did not spread, Johnny Alexander, the head of security for the state House of Representatives, wrote in an email obtained by Axios.

• "Multiple flags in the rotunda and State Reception Room were burned," Alexander wrote.
• Lt. Gov. Denny Heck said in a written statement that one of the damaged items was a historic rug, which he described as a "priceless treasure."
• The intruder was spotted on surveillance cameras, helping the State Patrol make an arrest, per Alexander's email.

The latest: The suspect was booked into the Thurston County Jail and had a preliminary appearance before a judge on Monday afternoon.

• Thurston County Judge Chris Lanese declined to set bail, The Seattle Times reported.
• The judge, citing potential "mental health concerns," ordered that the defendant be evaluated by a designated crisis responder before release to determine whether involuntary treatment is necessary, according to the newspaper.

State of play: In addition to the burned flags, state troopers found that busts of George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. had been knocked over, according to court documents.

• Troopers reported that multiple windows were broken, including one to the office of state Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle).

What they're saying: "There was significant damage in our State Reception Room, which is a particularly important space," Ferguson wrote on BlueSky on Monday. "We are still assessing the damage."

• Alexander wrote that "a strong odor of smoke may be noticed in the affected areas."

What's next: No charges had been filed as of Monday; Thurston County prosecutors expect to make a charging decision by Wednesday, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office told Axios.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with details from the suspect's Monday afternoon court appearance and to add a photo of some of the damage.