PORTLAND, Ore. — New surveillance video shows the moment someone set fire to a ballot box in Vancouver last week.
The fire happened early in the morning on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the Fisher's Landing Transit Center on Southeast 164th Avenue in Vancouver. It destroyed or damaged roughly 500 ballots and required the ballot box to be replaced.
The video, from C-Tran, shows the north lot entrance of Fisher's Landing. In the video, a car drives up to the ballot box. Something can be seen emitting light between the car and the ballot. The driver then takes off, does a U-turn and drives away. Shortly after, smoke can be seen coming from the ballot box, followed by a large blinding light from what appears to be an explosion.
The Portland Police Bureau said last week that it believes the same person targeted a ballot box outside the Multnomah County Elections Division office on Southeast Morrison Street in Portland on the same day. Three ballots were destroyed in that fire. PPB also linked the suspect to a similar incident in Vancouver in early October.
Police continue to look for the suspect. As of Monday evening, no arrests have been made.
The suspect is a white man between 30 and 40 years old. He's balding or has very short hair, and he has a medium-to-thin build with a thin face, police said. He likely has metalworking experience based on the detailed melding on the device used to set the fires.
The suspect car is a black or dark-colored 2001 to 2004 Volvo S-60. It's missing a Volvo emblem and has no front license plate. It also has sections that are more matte in finish rather than the standard shine, with a tan or light gray interior. The vehicle has dark wheels and unpainted body trim.
Anyone with information about the suspect or suspect vehicle is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper at Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181
Crime Stoppers of Oregon is offering cash rewards up to $2,500 cash for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters remain anonymous. Information can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Oregon by visiting http://www.crimestoppersoforegon.com.