PORTLAND, Ore. — Police working with Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) investigators have arrested and charged a man with several counts of arson, after one of four intentionally set fires destroyed a nearby building.
Investigators said the fire started at a homeless camp outside the building on Northeast 28th Avenue, then spread. The building has a commercial space at the bottom and occupied apartments above.
"The smell started coming into our apartment, so we took matters into our hands and called the police," said Evelia Renteria, who has lived in one of the apartments next to the café next door for five years. "We said, 'We're not sure what is going on, but there is a fire next door to us.'"
People who work and live in the area said they think this was retaliation after city planned to sweep the nearby homeless camp.
The landlord of the commercial and residential property showed KGW an illegal campsite notice from the city, issued on July 3, informing the people their campsite would be removed.
"It feels like retaliation just because they were told to evacuate," Renteria said. "We've never had that happen until now."
The café, Dear Sandy, is next to the building that burned. They posted a photo on Instagram, saying someone had set something on fire and put it through their mail slot.
"Today could’ve been the end of Dear Sandy, but instead, we just need a new curtain. We’re shook but extremely grateful," they said.
Renteria said the campsite was there for about a week with homeless people using the now-burned awning as shade from the recent blistering temperatures.
An employee of Dear Sandy said they will be fortifying the security on their front door and removing their mail slot.
The suspect, Jon Martin, was found on Wednesday afternoon by Portland police at another homeless camp nearby. Martin was taken into custody by PF&R's arson investigators and officers from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). He's been charged with three counts of first-degree arson, one count of Arson II, one count of attempted arson II and reckless burning.
Portland Police said motive is unknown at this time.