A Portland Democrat who once called for homeless individuals to be given housing suffered an ironic and cruel twist of fate last week.
As The Oregonian reported, 51-year-old homeless man Vashon Locust was arrested on Tuesday after starting a fire that torched Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos’ townhome and car.
He faces charges of reckless burning, second-degree mischief, and trespassing. These are all misdemeanors.
According to a police affidavit obtained by the paper, Locust snuck into a shed near Avalos’ home on October 26 and attempted to use an electric outlet.
When that failed, he set a fire to stay warm, but he later claimed that it got out of control and tried to put it out.
“He shared that it was very cold that night and his clothing was wet,” the affidavit reads. “Locust attempted to extinguish the fire with his foot.”
Locust then fled to a nearby church.
On October 28, Locust allegedly returned to the scene of the crime to inspect the remains.
Avalos and her cat managed to escape the incident unharmed. She claimed afterward that she was targeted for her political beliefs.
Whatever the cause, this didn’t happen in a vacuum,” she wrote. “In our current national context, it’s hard not to connect this moment to everything happening around us — the threats, the division, the way public service sometimes puts a target on your back.”
The Daily Mail notes that Avalos has long been an apologist for Portland’s homeless population.
She even wrote a column in 2021 titled: “Our unhoused neighbors deserve a safe and clean place to sleep.”
Locust has been arrested more than 50 times for various felony and misdemeanor charges since 2006, according to court records obtained by The Oregonian.
His most recent arrest occurred in February. In this incident, a woman in North Portland reported that Locust would not leave her property and chased her while waving around a stick.
The Oregonian notes that Locust has not been arraigned on the reckless burning charge at this point, and no attorney has been assigned to his case.
He remains in jail until his first court appearance.
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