PORTLAND, Ore. — A 19-year-old woman accused of setting the Portland police union building on fire now faces a federal arson charge.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Alma Yessenia Raven-Guido made her first appearance on the one-count indictment in U.S. District Court in Portland Thursday.
Assistant Federal Public Defender Francesca Freccero entered a not guilty plea to the charge for Raven-Guido. FBI agents arrested her at her Beaverton home Wednesday.
The arson charge alleges Raven-Guido maliciously damaged or attempted to damage the Portland Police Association office, described in the indictment as a building “used in interstate commerce and in activity affecting interstate commerce.” Prosecutors say the federal charge is based on an interpretation that unions affect interstate commerce.