Homeless man charged with setting fire at Portland city councilor's home

A homeless man has been arrested in connection with a fire last month at the home of Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos.

Police identified the suspect as 51-year-old Vashon Locust, who was taken into custody for the October 26 fire. Locust faces misdemeanor charges of reckless burning and two counts of second-degree criminal mischief.

According to police, Locust entered a shed near Avalos’ home to use an electrical outlet for a heater. When the outlet failed to work, he allegedly lit a small fire that quickly spread. Emergency responders arrived at about 2:40 am to find the fire had engulfed Avalos’ car, carport, and home. She was able to escape unharmed.

Authorities initially called the incident “suspicious in nature” and began investigating it as possible arson. However, on Tuesday, Portland Police Bureau Chief Bob Day and Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Lauren Johnson issued a joint statement confirming the fire was “not a targeted act of violence.”

“We recognize that this incident has been deeply distressing for Councilor Avalos and her neighbors, and we want to express our sincere empathy for everything they have endured,” the statement said. “From the outset, our shared priority was to ensure safety, determine the cause and origin of the fire, and provide transparency to the community. We are grateful to the Portland Fire Investigations Unit – composed of PF&R sworn investigators and a detective from the Portland Police Bureau – that worked diligently and collaboratively to uncover the facts. Their thorough, methodical investigation ultimately determined that this was not a targeted act of violence. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding as we worked to reach these findings.”

According to The New York Times, Avalos, who took office in January, said in a statement that the fire presented an opportunity to address “the conditions that make tragedies like this possible in the first place.”

“This was an act that caused real harm and disruption to my life and others, and it’s important that we find a path forward that centers both healing and responsibility,” she said. “But it’s also a reminder that far too many of our neighbors are living in crisis — people navigating untreated mental illness, addiction and poverty in a system that’s failed to catch them before they fall.”