PORTLAND, Ore. — A man was found guilty on Wednesday for starting a large fire that destroyed the May Apartments near downtown Portland in May 2023.
Garrett Repp faced 56 counts, including 28 counts of first-degree arson, 21 counts of recklessly endangering another person, five counts of first-degree animal abuse and two counts first-degree criminal mischief. The jury determined he was guilty on all counts except for one of the animal abuse charges.
On May 16, 2023, Portland firefighters responded to the fire at the 113-year-old building on Southwest 14th Avenue and Southwest Taylor Street. A plume of thick smoke could be seen coming from the five-story building. Residents on the upper floors had to be evacuated by using ladders. Everyone made it out of the building safely, but several pets died. A firefighter was injured after a window blew out and a piece of glass hit his forehead.
Repp was a tenant when he started used an accelerant to start the fire in his unit. He had been evicted and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office had been scheduled to physically remove him at 11:30 a.m., about an hour and a half before Repp started the fire, according to court documents.
The building's owner told fire investigators that Repp had frequently caused problems for neighbors, an affidavit shows. At one point, Repp had cut a hole through the wall of his unit and began occupying an adjacent one.
Police arrested Repp on May 25. He initially pleaded not guilty before he was indicted on June 2.