PORTLAND, Ore. — A man arrested Sunday afternoon for allegedly starting a small brush fire along Interstate 205 was arrested again hours after he was released from jail after he allegedly started six more small fires, Portland police said.
Domingo Lopez Jr., 45, was cited with seven counts of reckless burning and police said other charges may follow. After he was arrested the second time, at 3:37 a.m. Monday, he was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.
After officers and firefighters put out a small brush fire along I-205 around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, a witness flagged down officers about an hour later and said the man who started the fires was in a nearby tent. Police spoke to Lopez Jr., who told officer he lit the fire, police said. He was arrested and a plastic bottle with a wick was seized as evidence.
He was booked into the Multnomah County jail.
Shortly after 3:30 a.m. Monday, officers and firefighters were called out again to put out multiple small fires burning along I-205. Portland Fire put out three of the fires and community members put out the other three.
Officers arrested Lopez Jr. again, who was walking along the shoulder of the freeway. They seized a lighter as evidence. He was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.
