The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) arrested and then quickly released a man for setting a fire, then re-arrested him for setting six more fires in the wildfire-ravaged state of Oregon.
The PPB reported:
A suspect arrested last evening for starting a brush fire was arrested again after he started 6 more small fires.
On Monday, September 14, 2020 at 3:37a.m., East Precinct officers were dispatched with Portland Fire and Rescue to a report of multiple fires burning along the west side of the I-205 freeway. Portland Fire and Rescue extinguished three of them while passing community members put out the other three. All were caught early. No one was injured and no structures were burnt. Officers located Domingo Lopez, Junior walking along the shoulder and arrested him. They seized a lighter as evidence.
This comes at a time when 230,000 acres have been burned and at least ten people have died in the blazes.
Lopez Jr. was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation, according to police.
BREAKING: Portland Police arrested a man today suspected of starting a brush fire using a Molotov cocktail. Firefighters extinguished the grass fire before it could spread further. Domingo Lopez Jr., 45, was arrested. He was quickly released without bail. https://t.co/NY3001kb9t pic.twitter.com/Tur64x5s9f
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 14, 2020
BREAKING: Within hours after being released for allegedly starting a brush fire in Portland using a molotov cocktail, Domingo Lopez Jr. allegedly started six more fires along the west side of the I-205 freeway. He's been arrested again. #OregonFires https://t.co/2PJpGFqIm8
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 14, 2020
The incident seems to be a part of a revolving door policy, with Portland police regularly arresting people during nightly riots taking place for more than 100 days in the city and then releasing them almost immediately.
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