An arson investigation is underway after a car fire at the home of City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez.
On Friday, January 12, 2024 at 1:34 a.m., Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded to a car on fire in the Eastmoreland Neighborhood. The car was parked and unoccupied. Firefighters extinguished the fire, and no one was injured.
Information at the scene suggested that the fire was intentionally set. PF&R requested a Fire Investigator and Portland Police. East Precinct officers responded to the scene and assisted with the initial investigation. They determined that the vehicle, a white 2024 Honda Accord, was parked on the street in front of Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez’s home and it belonged to the commissioner’s family member. The car was destroyed by the fire.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt released the following statement today on the news of the suspected arson committed against Commissioner Rene Gonzalez and his family:
“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.
“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.
“I want to thank Commissioner Gonzalez for his service to this community. I also want to thank the vast majority of Portlanders who engage in our democracy the healthy way – through voting, through respectful conversations, and through peaceful debate and disagreement.
“Heading into election season, we will have disagreements. Let’s keep it peaceful and respect each other, each others’ property, and the law. At the end of the day, it’s not us against each other – it is all of us against the challenges our community faces.”
