A 35-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the arson attack on Friday that damaged an office in Burlington, Vermont, belonging to Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bernie-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bernie Sanders</a> (I-VT), according to authorities.
Shant Soghomonian, who is also known as Michael Soghomonian and is previously of Northridge, California, was arrested on Sunday pursuant to a federal criminal complaint, the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the District of Vermont <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/suspect-arrested-arson-burlington-office-senator-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release.
The complaint charged Soghomonian with using fire to damage the building at One Church Street in Burlington – a building used in interstate commerce and as a place of activity affecting interstate commerce, the release added.
On Friday morning, Soghomonian entered the building, proceeded to the third floor, where Sanders&#8217;s office is located, and was &#8220;recorded on a security video spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and then lighting the area with a handheld lighter,&#8221; the release said, citing court documents.
&#8220;A blaze quickly began while Soghomonian departed via a staircase&#8221; and it &#8220;damaged the outside of the office door and surrounding areas, and the building sprinklers discharged on multiple floors,&#8221; the release continued.
&#8220;The Senator’s office was occupied by multiple employees who were not physically injured during the incident,&#8221; the release said. &#8220;It is not known how many other occupants were in the building, but no injuries were reported.&#8221;
The U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the District of Vermont said that Soghomonian faces a maximum penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
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An initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge had not yet been scheduled, and a counsel for the suspect had not yet been identified, the release noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Seen this man around Burlington, Vermont? Police are asking for assistance in identifying this suspect in connection to a fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders&#39; office. A motive is unclear. <a href="https://t.co/RALcX8TpjQ">pic.twitter.com/RALcX8TpjQ</a>
&mdash; Madeleine Hubbard (@MadeleineHubb) <a href="https://twitter.com/MadeleineHubb/status/1776976283764961710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Police had previously <a href="https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/Press/arsonseeking-suspect#:~:text=Attached%20Press%20Release%3A-,Download%20arson.pdf,-(997.07%20KB)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a photo of the suspect that showed him wearing a hat, dark jacket, and long pants to track down the man.
Sanders <a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2024/04/05/senator-bernie-sanders-joins-striking-workers-at-hotel-figueroa-in-downtown-l-a/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had been</a> in Los Angeles on Friday to join a picket line where hotel workers were on strike to demand improved pay and working conditions.
&nbsp;

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Arrest Made In Arson Attack On Bernie Sanders’ Office

Arrest Made In Arson Attack On Bernie Sanders' Office

Arson

Bernie Sanders

Congress

Fire

Politics

U.S. Senate

Vermont

Two offices belonging to conservative organizations were firebombed in late January, and the FBI has been assisting in finding the perpetrators.
Around 2 a.m. on January 28, at least one person broke into an office building in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and set two fires: One on the third floor and one on the first, John Hinderaker <a href="https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/02/they-firebombed-my-office.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> at the Powerline blog. The third floor fire was set either just outside or right inside the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC), a <a href="https://www.umlc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conservative legal organization</a> that has filed lawsuits battling &#8220;diversity, equity, and inclusion&#8221; discrimination and other Left-leaning causes, including a lawsuit against Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for a law that would restrict free speech concerning election issues.
The first-floor fire was set in the hallway between the Center of the American Experiment’s offices and space leased to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/takechargemn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take Charge</a>, another conservative organization that fights against progressive race myths.
Hinderaker, president of the Center of the American Experiment and a board member at UMLC, told The Daily Wire that while his organization is regularly “involved with things that tick off liberals,” there “wasn’t anything going on right at that moment of the preceding where you would say, ‘Uh huh. You know, that must be what it is.’”
<div id="attachment_693415" style="width: 743px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-693415" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-693415 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-2.jpeg" alt="Fires were set outside the offices of conservative organizations the Center of the American Experiment, Take Charge, and the Upper Midwest Law Center on January 28, 2024. The FBI is investigating." width="733" height="1100" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-2.jpeg 733w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-2-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-2-384x576.jpeg 384w" sizes="(max-width: 733px) 100vw, 733px" />Center of the American Experiment</div>
Hinderaker said he gave the FBI a list of categories of people who might have set the fires, including eco-terrorists, Antifa types, a public sector union, pro-Hamas terrorists, or “garden variety Libs who are really radical.” He stressed, however, that he does not have anyone in particular he believes committed the crime.
But while Hinderaker doesn’t know who set the fires, he says he&#8217;s positive the perpetrators — he believes at least two people were involved — will be caught. Hinderaker emphasized that, while many on the Right have come to distrust the FBI, the agents he has worked with are “not liberals,” and that he’s “confident that this crime is getting the full attention and resources of the bureau.&#8221;
“Now they&#8217;re gonna get caught,” he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you that we&#8217;re gonna find out.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_693417" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-693417" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-693417 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire.jpeg" alt="Fires were set outside the offices of conservative organizations the Center of the American Experiment, Take Charge, and the Upper Midwest Law Center on January 28, 2024. The FBI is investigating." width="768" height="577" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-300x225.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Center of the American Experiment</div>
A camera inside the Center of the American Experiment’s offices captured one of the perpetrators put something down outside the door and leave quickly. Hinderaker believes the fire on the third floor had already been set at that time.
The person caught on camera is not recognizable, but there are also cameras on the outside of the office building facing the only road leading in that may have captured a vehicle driving up prior to the fires.
Hinderaker wanted the perpetrators to know that the fire has not stopped the work he and his organizations do. Those targeted by the fires are working remotely but continuing to do what they have always done.
Take Charge, the other group targeted, also said the fires would not impact their work.
“Regardless of the attacks, we’ll continue to educate all Americans on the truth Progressives want to keep hidden from public view,” the organization said in a statement. “We were targeted because we are a conservative black organization and we refuse to trumpet the mantra of systemic racism and march to the beat of the DEI drum.”
<div id="attachment_693433" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-693433" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-693433 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-3.jpeg" alt="Fires were set outside the offices of conservative organizations the Center of the American Experiment, Take Charge, and the Upper Midwest Law Center on January 28, 2024. The FBI is investigating." width="768" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-3.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/CAE-Fire-3-300x200.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Center of the American Experiment</div>
Kendall Qualls, the president and founder of Take Charge, says he founded the organization to push back against false narratives such as white privilege and systemic racism.
&#8220;The racial disparities in our society are not because of systemic racism but because leaders and politicians in black community allowed the fatherless home problem to grow from 80 percent two-parent families to 80 percent fatherless homes in our lifetime,&#8221; Qualls said.
Because of the extensive fire and smoke damage, the entire office building has to be shut down for the foreseeable future, Hinderaker told The Daily Wire. The building also housed multiple small businesses, including, psychologists, chiropractors, and financial advisers. They too, have not been allowed back into the building due to the fire.
In a statement this week, Hinderaker said his organization “would be announcing a reward to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.”

Police Investigation Tape

FBI Investigating Arson At Conservative Think Tank In Minnesota

Arsonists Target Conservative Think Tank In Minnesota, FBI Investigating

Crime

Minnesota

U.S.

Investigators said this week that a fire outside of Portland mayoral candidate and City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez&#8217;s home may have been intentionally set for political reasons. 
Early Friday morning, a car belonging to a family member of Gonzalez <a href="https://www.portlandtribune.com/news/multco-da-says-gonzalez-arson-could-be-politically-motivated/article_1c040f9a-b18a-11ee-a12b-9bd54e5c92b7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was found</a> on fire outside of his home. After the fire was put out, police said it may have been arson. Gonzalez is a Democrat who ran for public office on a platform of cracking down on homelessness and increasing police funding.
“Acts of political violence and acts of political vandalism are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Commissioner Gonzalez and everyone else in a public leadership role is here to serve this community because they love this community,” Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt <a href="https://www.portlandtribune.com/news/multco-da-says-gonzalez-arson-could-be-politically-motivated/article_1c040f9a-b18a-11ee-a12b-9bd54e5c92b7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
“Everybody is free to agree or disagree with me, the Commissioner, or any public servant or political candidate. But threats, vandalism, arson, violence, or any other form of illegal coercion will not be tolerated. If confirmed arson, we will find and prosecute those responsible for this act to the fullest extent of the law,” Schmidt added. 
Gonzalez thanked the fire department for their quick response after they called to report the fire. 
“Thanks to the prompt response of Portland Fire &amp; Rescue, the fire was unable to spread to any neighboring homes or vehicles. My neighborhood is filled with both families and seniors, and we must do everything in our power to protect them. I am grateful that nobody was physically harmed as a result of this incident,” he said. 
Gonzalez, who is challenging several other city commissioners to replace far-Left Mayor Ted Wheeler in 2024 is considered the moderate in the race. 
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During his campaign for commissioner in 2022, Gonzalez <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/20/rene-gonzalez-portland-oregon-city-council-jo-ann-hardesty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he wanted to hire hundreds of more police, increase arrests for shoplifting and trespassing, and get all of the homeless people off the streets and into a shelter. He was also attacked by fellow Democrats for his advocacy for schools to reopen during COVID.
“If you’re doing crimes in the city of Portland, I don’t care if you’re unsheltered, I don’t care if you’re an addict or suffer [from] mental illness,” he told Oregon Public Broadcasting in 2022, “You will start in the criminal justice system.”
Portland has been plagued by homelessness, drug use, and crime in recent years at the same time many officials have pushed soft-on crime policies. 
“I think Portland went so far Left that we see and feel that the future of our city’s at stake,” he said. “I don’t think Portland can continue to be a functioning city if it continues on the path it’s going,” Gonzalez said in 2022.

Fire Fighting

Authorities Suspect Pro-Police Portland Mayoral Candidate Targeted In Car Fire

Homelessness

Oregon

Portland

Ted Wheeler

A Huntsville, Texas, man has been charged with arson after initially claiming that his house burned down as part of a hate crime.
Mario Roberson owns the home that burned back in June, and told police at the time that racist graffiti had been spray-painted on the property the month before the fire. That message allegedly said: “We don’t like your kind,” Fox 26 <a href="https://www.fox26houston.com/news/local-houston-area-organizations-calling-for-fbi-to-investigate-huntsville-house-fire-as-hate-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The message also included a racial slur. Roberson claimed he was nearly shot in the same neighborhood two weeks after the graffiti was painted on the property.
Roberson owned the home as a rental property but told police that it was not being rented at the time of the blaze. The bodies of two men were found inside the burnt property, one of whom was a member of Roberson’s family. A third man escaped the fire but was seriously injured.
On Monday, a grand jury issued a “true bill” for Roberson, allowing him to be charged with first-degree felony arson. The indictment comes after a months-long investigation by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office, KTRK <a href="https://abc13.com/mario-roberson-waterwood-huntsville-tx-arson-hate-crime-graffiti-claim-san-jacinto-county/14109177/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Roberson told the outlet he wasn&#8217;t responsible.
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The man who survived the fire told San Jacinto County deputies that he had “stepped in some gas” and that he was “burned up.” He was seen by neighbors covered in flames as he ran from the burning building, and drove a truck away from the blaze before crashing into a ditch, where he was found by deputies.
When a deputy asked the man what happened, he said: &#8220;I&#8217;m telling you. I&#8217;m from Houston. This dude, he told me to bring him out here to Huntsville&#8230; He said somebody wants to do a numbers job on a house.&#8221;
A “numbers job,” often refers to insurance fraud, law enforcement officials told KTRK.
&#8220;Whoever is doing it, he knows the man with the house,&#8221; the burned man told police on body-camera footage obtained by KTRK. &#8220;A numbers job or something. That&#8217;s all I know.&#8221;
The outlet also discovered that Roberson had multiple civil lawsuits against him in Oklahoma and Texas. One suit was filed four years to the day before the fire.
In that lawsuit, it is alleged that Roberson agreed to buy property containing a golf course, hotel, office buildings, and a restaurant for $104 million at the end of 2017, according to KTRK. He made this agreement 13 years after filing for bankruptcy. The lawsuit claimed that Roberson claimed to have $1 million in cash in briefcases when he arrived to a title company’s office to purchase the property. The plaintiff said in the lawsuit that he didn’t believe the money existed.
A judge dismissed the case without prejudice to Roberson.
After the fire, Roberson repeatedly told news outlets that he was the victim of a hate crime, telling KTRK at the time that &#8220;People are being terrible because of the hatred in their heart.” At the time, he blamed the homeowners’ association due to an ongoing dispute over rental properties.
Following Roberson’s claims, CAIR-Houston and the ADL Southwest called for the FBI to investigate the fire as a hate crime.
If convicted, Roberson faces anywhere between five and 99 years in prison.

House Fire

Texas Man Claimed House Burned Down Due To Hate Crime. He’s Now Charged With Arson.

Texas Man Claimed House Burned Due To Hate Crime. He's Now Charged With Arson.

Texas

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/l-a-freeway-closed-indefinitely-after-massive-fire-compromises-structure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">massive fire</a> that erupted under the I-10 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles last weekend — disrupting commutes for hundreds of thousands of residents — was likely caused by arson.
&#8220;Arson appears to be the likely ignition for this fire,&#8221; Newsom <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/arson-determined-likely-cause-of-10-freeway-fire-in-downtown-la/3267475/#:~:text=Gov.%20Gavin%20Newsom%20announced%20Monday,to%20put%20out%20the%20flames." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, according to NBC. &#8220;That ignition (point and cause) was determined with precision by the fire marshal, Cal Fire, and their teams.&#8221;
Newsom reportedly <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/there-was-malice-intent-governor-newsom-addresses-cause-of-massive-fire-under-i-10-freeway-in-downtown-la/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Cal Fire investigators completed the initial probe and determined &#8220;there was malice intent&#8221; and &#8220;that it was arson and that it was done and set intentionally.&#8221;
&#8220;The determination of who was responsible is an investigation that is ongoing,&#8221; he said.
Authorities have not identified a suspect or suspects connected to the possible cause of the inferno, but the governor noted the fire started below the freeway within the fence line of a storage facility filled with pallets, trailers, and vehicles.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze started around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday under Interstate 10 and quickly spread through the storage facility. Authorities said the flames engulfed both sides of 14th Street underneath the portion of the freeway, melted steel guardrails, and damaged a number of firetrucks.
LAFD authorities said 164 firefighters battled the flames through the night to extinguish the fire and defend three nearby commercial buildings from damage.
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference Sunday, &#8220;Wind pushed the heat and the flames under the freeway, and across the street ignited a secondary storage yard.&#8221;
Crowley reportedly said the fire covered about 80,000 square feet and that crews extinguished much of the blaze in less than three hours. No injuries were reported.
David Ortiz, public information officer for LAFD, <a href="https://www.smobserved.com/story/2023/11/13/news/fire-at-homeless-encampment-under-santa-monica-freeway-closes-the-main-east-west-highway-in-los-angeles-county-for-3-months/7919.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> said a large homeless encampment with tents and RVs dwelled underneath the freeway. Many L.A. residents have speculated online that the fire likely started in the homeless encampment.
Mayor Karen Bass reportedly said there was no initial information to suggest a link between the fire and the homeless population in the area but noted that 16 individuals living in the immediate vicinity of the fire had been provided housing.
&#8220;There is no reason to assume the origin of this fire &#8230; is because there were unhoused individuals nearby,&#8221; Bass said.
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Bass said during a news conference on Sunday that the structural damage &#8220;calls for the same urgency and effort&#8221; as the 1994 Northridge earthquake when I-10 sustained extensive damage but reopened in about three months.
&#8220;For those of you that remember the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Caltrans worked around the clock to complete emergency repairs to the freeways,&#8221; said Bass.
Newsom declared a state of emergency after the massive fire erupted beneath the major freeway — closing the thoroughfare&#8217;s now compromised structure indefinitely and impacting hundreds of thousands of commuters.
Local media reported that the portion of the freeway between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue — about a seven-mile stretch of road — will remain closed indefinitely, creating a traffic nightmare for an estimated 300,000 commuters.
According to reports, initial testing results on the structural integrity of the freeway came back better than expected. Officials said roughly 100 support columns were damaged, including roughly 10 that were severely damaged.
Although some officials <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1724468733954146788" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it&#8217;s still too early to determine when commuters will be safe to drive on the road again, Newsom said on Tuesday they expect the freeway to reopen to traffic in 3-5 weeks while the state works 24 hours a day, seven days a week to repair the damages.

Large Fire Along L.A.’s I-10 Brings Transportation Crisis To Already Traffic Laden L.A.

Newsom Says Arson Likely Started Massive Fire Under L.A. Freeway

Newsom Says Arson Likely Started Massive Fire Under L.A. Freeway: Reports

California

Gavin Newsom

General

Homeless

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

A man was arrested late last week after authorities said he attempted to burn down the childhood home of former first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, <a href="https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington-man-allegedly-attempted-to-burn-down-mary-todd-lincoln-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox 56. 
On Thursday, a Lexington, Kentucky, police officer spotted 29-year-old Santosh Sharma pouring gasoline on the back of the Mary Todd Lincoln House in downtown Lexington, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the outlet. Police say he had a lighter in his hand and more gasoline in a backpack he was wearing. 
Sharma allegedly waved a hammer at the officer when confronted, but the officer notes that no physical altercation occurred. The citation indicated that the presence of the hammer put fear in the officer of potential serious physical harm, according to Fox 56. 
Sharma was able to gain access to the rear of the home by allegedly going through a gated area, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/06/17/kentucky-man-tries-burning-down-mary-todd-lincolns-childhood-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post. 
The man was arrested and is now being held at the Fayette County Detention Center. Jail records <a href="https://jail.lexingtonky.gov/profiles/public/185431" target="_blank" rel="noopener">show</a> he is charged with second-degree arson, second-degree criminal trespassing, and menacing.
According to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/lexington/mtl.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Park Service</a>, the Mary Todd Lincoln House was built between 1803 and 1806. The wife of the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd lived in the home between 1832 and 1839, when she subsequently moved to Springfield, Illinois, and met her husband three years later. 
“In the Todds&#8217; day, the property contained separate outbuildings, including an outdoor kitchen with slave quarters, wash house, smoke house, and stables with a carriage house,” the description of the home of the Mary Todd Lincoln House website <a href="https://www.mtlhouse.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>. “Unfortunately, no evidence of the outbuildings remains. The Todds also had a large garden, now partially restored.”
The first lady&#8217;s family lived there until 1849, when Robert Todd, Mary Todd’s father, died. The home is the first house museum to honor a first lady and was visited by Abraham Lincoln in 1847.
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In the 1950s, the structure of the home began to deteriorate after it had been used as a grocery store, brothel, and boarding house in the time since the Todds moved out. 
“Today, the home is used to tell the remarkable story of Mary Todd Lincoln to thousands of visitors from around the world, featuring family portraits and furnishings from the Todd and Lincoln families,” the website description says.

Mary Todd Lincoln House

Man Arrested For Attempting To Burn Down Mary Todd Lincoln’s Childhood Home: Police

Abraham Lincoln

Kentucky

A historic, 117-year-old church in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a>, is being demolished after being irreparably damaged by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fire</a> this week. 
Police have arrested 27-year-old Cameron David Storer, a man who also claims to go by Nicolette Fait, for allegedly setting fire to the church. The office of Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt <a href="https://www.mcda.us/index.php/news/da-mike-schmidt-announces-cameron-storer-25-arraigned-for-arson-other-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referred</a> to Storer using “they” pronouns in a press release detailing the charges. 
Storer was charged with two counts of first-degree arson, one count of second-degree arson, and two counts of second-degree burglary. 
Demolition of the 3,000-square-foot Old Portland Korean Church, which <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-arson-suspect-charged-historic-church-fire-leaving-1905-house-worship-marked-demolition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened</a> in 1905, began Friday after the three-alarm fire on Tuesday. The decision to demo the church came after Portland Fire and Rescue determined from drone footage that the building had sustained too much structural damage to be saved. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Out of control! <a href="https://t.co/jz2UeIEQfw">pic.twitter.com/jz2UeIEQfw</a>
&mdash; R Renk (@RRenk3) <a href="https://twitter.com/RRenk3/status/1610479991032250369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Workers toppled the 100-year-old steeple of the church as local preservationists stood by hoping to spare portions of the church. “They’re not very confident that those will be salvageable once the building gets knocked over,” Val Ballestrem, of the local Architectural Heritage Center, <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2023/01/07/demolition-begins-fire-ravaged-portland-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> KPTV. “Having a piece from the building really enforces our ability to tell that story.”
The preservationists hope to save stained glass windows, and the church’s cornerstone, and the weathervane. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The steeple of a historic Portland church came crashing down Friday afternoon. The building was more than a century old when an arsonist set a three-alarm fire that tore through the building Tuesday evening. <a href="https://t.co/2YE5NtaOQK">pic.twitter.com/2YE5NtaOQK</a>
&mdash; FOX 12 Oregon (@fox12oregon) <a href="https://twitter.com/fox12oregon/status/1611509155042414596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“What was really interesting was how the main tower flexed. They pushed it pretty hard and it’s a pretty big machine and so it flexed before it fell, they really had to work hard. Whoever is operating that crane really has an unbelievable skill set to see how he will maneuver get stuff to where he needed and then push in the right direction. It’s a horrible thing to have happen but to see them take it down is pretty impressive,” local Hank Schottland said. 
Before the fire, the church had not been actively used in 10 years, according to local authorities. Authorities also said that Storer wanted to “take credit” and claimed to use a Bic lighter to start the fire. 
Storer, who reportedly has a history of schizophrenia, told police that voices in his head promised to “mutilate” him if he did not burn the church, according to the district attorney’s office. 
Police said Storer also claimed to take 10 oxycodone per day from another injury.

3D fire and Burning embers glowing. Fire Glowing Particles on Black Background

Historic 117-Year-Old Portland Church To Be Demolished After Arson Attack

Church

Arsonists tried to light a small business on fire in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> this week, but not before catching themselves on fire.
Surveillance video footage from the business showed masked vandals dousing the front of Servicio de Imigracion, a tax and immigration service in Bakersfield, with gasoline and attempting to light it on fire. Flames suddenly erupt while the two criminals are still standing in front of the building, and both run away from the blaze screaming. Police are still investigating the incident.
In the video, taken by surveillance video cameras outside the business, two vandals wearing dark clothes with bandanas covering their faces walk up to the front of the building, holding canisters of gasoline. A floodlight turns on at the motion, but they walk away from it. The two vandals walk up to the front of the building and begin pouring the gas around the front perimeter. One of the arsonists then lights the gasoline, which immediately ignites in their faces, which catches them both by surprise.
The first suspect scrambles away with flames lapping his right leg; the second one tries to get away, but slips and falls on the sidewalk. He gets up and immediately falls again. The flames catch the right arm of his hoodie. He screams audibly as he runs away with his sleeve on fire. A second angle showed that the flames caught on the second man&#8217;s shirt tail and lit his back on fire as well.
Firefighters told local news outlet <a href="https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/suspected-arsonists-set-bakersfield-business-and-themselves-on-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 23</a> that they were able to put out the fire within 10 minutes after they arrived on scene. The damage was contained to a garage, they said.
The owner of Servicio de Imigracion, Max Solorzano, told the outlet he was disappointed in Bakersfield officials for not doing enough to keep the city safe. &#8220;They have to work harder in that aspect, in keeping the community safe,&#8221; he said in an interview. &#8220;We are a small business and we help many people, so there will be people who will not be able to receive our services due to inactivity. That is what most saddens me. We help many farmworker families with their immigration processes, we help people do taxes. We ask our clients to have patience with us, we will get through this.&#8221;
The schemes of hasty criminals have a tendency to go up in flames. A man in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/would-be-utah-gas-thief-lights-himself-on-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah</a> who was attempting to steal fuel from a parked truck in Salt Lake City, Utah, accidentally lit himself on fire, as The Daily Wire reported in June. The thief was attempting to siphon gas, in broad daylight, from a box truck parked outside Summit Fire and Protection in Salt Lake City when he caught fire and was forced to run away from the truck, local NBC affiliate <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/50423275/thief-caught-on-camera-drilling-into-gas-tank--and-catching-on-fire">KSL-TV</a> reported.
Then in October, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-suspect-in-high-speed-police-chase-bursts-into-flames-after-being-tasered" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arkansas State Police</a> accidentally lit a man on fire when they attempted to tase him after a high-speed chase in Little Rock. Unbeknownst to the Troopers, the suspect had a canister of gas in his backpack; the taser prongs likely punctured the can, the YouTuber who posted the video wrote.

Would-Be Arsonists Try To Set California Small Business On Fire, End Up Igniting Themselves

Berkeley, California

West Virginia State Police have launched a criminal investigation into a suspected arson attack over the weekend that allegedly targeted a historic church.
The Beaver Volunteer Fire Department was alerted to the fire at St. Colman Catholic Church on Sunday in Shady Spring, West Virginia.
&#8220;Upon arrival we found the structure was already burned to the ground and smoldering. At this time the fire is considered suspicious in nature and is being investigated as arson,&#8221; the fire department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beaver102/">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;We were assisted by Ghent VFD, Coal City VFD, Ghent EMS, National Park Service and the WV State Police.&#8221;
The suspected arson attack comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled late last week to overturn the unconstitutional Roe v. Wade decision which led the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to warn of domestic terrorist attacks in response to the ruling.
&#8220;Faith-based organizations across the United States continue to report numerous criminal incidents against religious institutions connected to abortion rights,&#8221; a DHS intelligence report <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22068133/dhs-memo.pdf">stated</a>. &#8220;We are aware of at least 11 incidents of vandalism threatening violence targeting religious facilities perceived as being opposed to abortion, and one threat to &#8216;bomb&#8217; and &#8216;burn&#8217; a church in New York. These incidents of vandalism against faith-based organizations could indicate future targets of DVE attacks.&#8221;
The report warned that the topic targets for domestic terrorism were federal and state officials, including judges.
The suspected church arson in West Virginia follows another suspected arson case that happened over the weekend in Colorado, where a pregnancy center in Longmont was vandalized and set on fire.
&#8220;The fire happened at around 3:00 a.m. at the Life Choices Pregnancy Center,&#8221; local media <a href="https://www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/longmont-pregnancy-center-set-on-fire">reported</a>. &#8220;The graffiti contained threatening messages including the words, &#8216;If abortions aren&#8217;t safe neither are you.'&#8221;
&#8220;We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support we have received since this morning and pray for healing and peace for all,&#8221; Kathy Roberts, Executive Director of the Life Choices Pregnancy Center, said in a statement. &#8220;Although this is unsettling, we have an incredible, caring staff and volunteers that are committed to coming back and serving our community and surrounding areas.&#8221;

St. Colman Catholic Church

State Police Launch Criminal Investigation Into Suspected ‘Arson’ Of Historic Church After Roe V. Wade Ruling

West Virginia

A reporter in Portland has been arrested in connection with arson and vandalism cases involving multiple houses of worship in the area, according to local law enforcement officials.
Michael E. Bivins, 34, was booked Saturday into the Multnomah County Detention Center on three criminal mischief charges and one arson charge.
The Oregonian <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/05/police-arrest-34-year-old-portland-man-accused-of-vandalizing-synagogues-setting-fire-to-mosque.html">reported</a> that Bivins is accused of &#8220;spraying an antisemitic death threat&#8221; outside one of the synagogues where staff also found &#8220;scorch marks from recent fires.&#8221; He is also accused of returning to the same synagogue and spraying more graffiti and throwing a large rock through a window, along with breaking a window at a different synagogue and starting a fire at a mosque.
The Portland Police Bureau highlighted the following details surrounding the alleged crimes:
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<li>April 30th, 2022 – Congregation Shir Tikvah 2420 NE Sandy Blvd &#8211; Broken Window. Charge: Criminal Mischief in the First Degree</li>
<li>May 2nd, 2022 – Congregation Beth Israel 1972 NW Flanders – Graffiti on Synagogue. Charge: Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree</li>
<li>May 3rd, 2022 – Muslim Community Center of Portland – Fire to occupied Mosque. Charge: Arson in the First Degree (Measure 11)</li>
<li>May 4th, 2022 – Congregation Beth Israel 1972 NW Flanders – Large rock thrown through library window. Charge: Criminal Mischief in the First Degree</li>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Portland reporter Mike Bivins has been arrested over vandalism attacks on synagogues &amp; attempted arson at a mosque. He&#39;s been charged w/multiple felonies. His last DM to me in 2020 was a message critical of me posting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antifa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Antifa</a> riot mugshots. <a href="https://t.co/piHPr2AkUe">https://t.co/piHPr2AkUe</a> <a href="https://t.co/vbihNL9p6B">pic.twitter.com/vbihNL9p6B</a>
&mdash; Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1523087528634593282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Authorities said that Bivins was arrested after he visited a television news station, KPTV FOX 12, and demanded to speak to a reporter.
&#8220;On Wednesday, Bivins came by the FOX 12 station asking to speak to a reporter,&#8221; the outlet <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2022/05/07/suspect-crimes-portland-houses-worship-arrested/">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;He said he was the one vandalizing places of worship, gave names and locations of places he had been to and vandalized, and said he would not stop committing these crimes before stating he would come back to the station Friday afternoon.&#8221;
Authorities said that federal law enforcement officials had been notified and that additional charges may be forthcoming.
&#8220;This is certainly noteworthy that someone would contact a news station and want to discuss crimes they committed,&#8221; Kevin Allen of Portland Police said. &#8220;I’m not sure what the motivation there was, but we are certainly grateful to you and KPTV for working with our investigators so we could get him arrested, get him into custody and find appropriate charges for him. It’s important to note too that this is early in the investigation. I know the detective is continuing to work on what charges could be appropriate and we could be putting more charges forth going forward.&#8221;

Mike Bivins

Portland Reporter Arrested For Arson, Vandalism At Synagogues And A Mosque: Police

Portland Reporter Arrested For Arson, Accused Of Vandalizing Houses Of Worship

Synagogue

Former Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker slammed the Madison Police Department&#8217;s police chief on Monday, suggesting the official appeared to express empathy for supporters of abortion rights while announcing the burning of a pro-life center.
&#8220;Do you think the Police Chief would have said this if someone did this to a Planned Parenthood building?!? They’d be out of control,&#8221; Walker <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottWalker/status/1523703779203317760">asked in a tweet</a>. &#8220;What a double standard. Violence is violence and it should condemned, period.&#8221;
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes was <a href="https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/madison-police-chief-responds-to-arson-investigation-on-citys-north-side">addressing news</a> that a pro-life nonprofit &#8220;was targeted&#8221; by a &#8220;suspicious fire&#8221; — a Molotov cocktail was reportedly thrown into the pro-life organization&#8217;s building, one wall was burnt, and the message &#8220;if abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either” was spray-painted on the side of the building.
Barnes began his statement by saying: &#8220;The Madison Police Department understands members of our community are feeling deep emotions due to the recent news involving the United States Supreme Court.&#8221;
The police chief then warned against violence, saying: &#8220;Our department has and continues to support people being able to speak freely and openly about their beliefs. But we feel that any acts of violence, including the destruction of property, do not aid in any cause.&#8221;
&#8220;We have made our federal partners aware of this incident and are working with them and the Madison Fire Department as we investigate this arson,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We will provide an update on this case Monday at 2 p.m. Specific details regarding the logistics of this update will be sent at a later time.&#8221;
Madison Police Department spokeswoman Stephanie Fryer told The Daily Wire that &#8220;there are deep emotions on both/all sides regarding the recent news involving the United States Supreme Court.&#8221;
&#8220;The Madison Police Department supports the 1st Amendment and the freedoms it protects – no matter what side of an issue a person may fall,&#8221; she said.
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers <a href="https://twitter.com/GovEvers/status/1523350267122511873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1523350268766687234%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fpro-life-group-attacked-in-wisconsin-if-abortions-arent-safe-then-you-arent-either">condemned</a> “violence and hatred in all forms, including the actions at Wisconsin Family Action in Madison” in a Twitter thread that strongly emphasized his support for abortion.
“We reject violence against any person for disagreeing with another’s view,” he said. “Violence is not the way forward. Hurting others is never the answer.”
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“We will work against overturning Roe and attacks on reproductive rights by leading with empathy and compassion,” he added. “We will defend what we believe in with our words and our voices—in the streets, in halls of government, and at the ballot box. In Wisconsin, we must lead by example.”
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The Madison Fire Department <a href="https://www.cityofmadison.com/fire/daily-reports/fire-on-north-side-under-investigation">said in a news release</a> that it believes the pro-life center was &#8220;intentionally set&#8221; on fire and that &#8220;the incident is being investigated as an arson.&#8221;
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It is not immediately clear who set the building on fire — Wisconsin Family Action claims the attack was from an &#8220;elitist anarchist group&#8221; that threw &#8220;two Molotov cocktails into the office, after breaking windows, and then proceeded to light a fire.&#8221;
&#8220;The arsonists posted graffiti on the outside of the building near the group’s offices. The message was, &#8216;If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.&#8217; Anarchy 1312 took responsibility for the attack, leaving its logo on an outside wall,&#8221; the organization said.
Wisconsin Family Action did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire. The organization&#8217;s president, Julaine Appling, said in a statement that the attack has far broader implications than merely reactions to the leaked draft opinion.
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&#8220;Apparently,&#8221; she said, &#8220;the tolerance that the left demands is truly a one-way street. Violence has become their answer to everything. This is what happens when leadership is missing or when leadership implies that violence is ok. In 2020, Governor Tony Evers basically looked the other way when violence erupted in Kenosha and Madison. That kind of non-response fosters what happened to us this morning, leaving Wisconsin citizens who disagree with his policies extremely vulnerable to similar violence.&#8221;
Appling hit the governor for his response to the incident, saying that he said &#8220;nothing about demanding a full investigation and criminal prosecution.&#8221;
&#8220;He just told his supporters he’d keep supporting abortion,&#8221; she added.
“But this attack fails to frighten us, and instead steels the resolve of law-abiding, common-sense, every-day folks to stand up and push back,&#8221; Appling continued. &#8220;We know today it is Wisconsin Family Action getting Molotov cocktails tossed through broken windows and fires ignited, but tomorrow it could be anyone in our state or another state who is attacked because we disagree with a policy or action, give voice to the voiceless, or stand up for what’s right.&#8221;
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said last week that President Joe Biden’s view “is that there is a lot of passion&#8221; asked Thursday if Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/that-doesnt-cut-it-ben-sasse-tears-into-biden-for-failing-to-condemn-doxxing-harassment-of-the-supreme-court">condones the publishing</a> of the Supreme Court justices’ locations.
On Monday, after days of silence, the White House condemned acts of &#8220;violence, threats, or vandalism&#8221; directed pro-life centers.
&#8220;President Biden strongly condemns this attack and political violence of any stripe,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-condemns-molotov-cocktail-attack-wisconsin-anti-abortion-group">statement said</a>. &#8220;The President has made clear throughout his time in public life that Americans have the fundamental right to express themselves under the Constitution, whatever their point of view. But that expression must be peaceful and free of violence, vandalism, or attempts to intimidate.&#8221;
Psaki also tweeted that Biden &#8220;strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest,&#8221; but emphasized that &#8220;should never include violence, threats, or vandalism.&#8221;
Over the weekend, pro-abortion rights activists showed up at the homes of Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh.
&#8220;Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety,&#8221; Psaki said.
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‘What A Double Standard’: Former Wisconsin Governor Slams Police Chief For Response To Vandals Burning Pro-Life Clinic

Former Wisconsin Governor Slams Police Chief Over Reaction To Vandalized Pro-Life Center

Abortion

Pro-Life Movement

Scott Walker

Wisconsin

A new report from the U.S. Navy on the burning of the USS Bonhomme Richard in July 2020 blames its complete destruction on the ship’s officers and crew, alleging that they were “inadequately prepared” and that they did not have an “effective fire response.”
“Although the fire was started by an act of arson, the ship was lost due to an inability to extinguish the fire,” former U.S. 3rd Fleet commander Vice Adm. Scott Conn said in his report on the incident, <a href="https://news.usni.org/2021/10/19/long-chain-of-failures-left-sailors-unprepared-to-fight-uss-bonhomme-richard-investigation-finds">according</a> to USNI News. 
Conn&#8217;s review was completed in April, but public reports first appeared this week. Many throughout the Navy were implicated as responsible for the disaster including five admirals and 31 other Navy crew and officials. 
“In the 19 months executing the ship’s maintenance availability, repeated failures allowed for the accumulation of significant risk and an inadequately prepared crew, which led to an ineffective fire response,” Conn added. 
A report into the destruction of the Bonhomme Richard, a $2 billion ship, was supported by some in Navy leadership. 
“The training and readiness of the ship’s crew were deficient. They were unprepared to respond. Integration between the ship and supporting shore-based firefighting organizations was inadequate,” said Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Samuel Paparo in August. 
“There was an absence of effective oversight that should have identified the accumulated risk, and taken independent action to ensure readiness to fight a fire,” Paparo, who is in charge of disciplining those implicated in the report, said.  “Common to the failures evident in each of these broad categories was a lack of familiarity with requirements and procedural noncompliance at all levels of command.”
The warship&#8217;s commanding officer, Captain Gregory Thoroman was specifically excoriated by the report. 
“The execution of his duties created an environment of poor training, maintenance and operational standards that directly led to the loss of the ship,” the report stated. 
According to Conn, the ship’s firefighting foam system, which could have helped fight the fire as it blazed through the ship, was not activated. 
“No member of the crew interviewed considered this action or had specific knowledge as to the location of the button or its function,” he wrote.
Not only was the fire an expensive disaster, but it also resulted in the injury of dozens of crewmembers. 
“The ship was undergoing a two-year $250 million upgrade pierside in San Diego when the fire broke out,” the AP <a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-probe-major-failures-fire-destroyed-ship-2ba10fc8e4029771e3b6944a33622b1f">reported</a>,  “About 138 sailors were on board, and nearly 60 were treated for heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation and minor injuries.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/san-diego-navy-ship-fire-injures-over-a-dozen-sailors">reported</a>, San Diego’s Fire Department responded to the fire and tried to extinguish the blaze. 
“We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local, base, and shipboard firefighters aboard BHR. Our thoughts and prayers are with our BHR Sailors, their families, and our emergency responders who continue to fight the fire,” Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations <a href="https://twitter.com/USNavyCNO/status/1282450118529167371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1282450118529167371%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fsan-diego-navy-ship-fire-injures-over-a-dozen-sailors">said</a> at the time. 
Seaman Apprentice Ryan Sawyer Mays, the sailor charged with setting the fire, is awaiting his preliminary hearing in San Diego.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/san-diego-navy-ship-fire-injures-over-a-dozen-sailors">Related: San Diego Navy Ship Fire Injures Over A Dozen Sailors</a>

Navy Ship USS Bonhomme Richard Burns At Naval Base In San Diego

‘Inadequately Prepared’: Report Holds Navy Officers And Crew Responsible For Loss Of Navy Warship To Arson

U.S. Navy

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