Portland's unsettling trend of arson fires took another shocking twist with the news of a serial arsonist who was arrested, released, and subsequently apprehended again after allegedly setting multiple new fires. According to KPTV, 35-year-old Aubrey A. Edwards was first arrested Tuesday evening for setting a vehicle ablaze near Northeast Failing Street and North Vancouver Avenue. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident.
After being booked early Wednesday on charges including second-degree arson and reckless burning, Edwards was released less than two hours later. What unfolded next is a rapid succession of fires believed to have been ignited by him between downtown Portland and North Portland. His freedom was short-lived as Edwards was arrested for the second time that same night. That Oregon Life notes that his alleged spree extended well beyond a single evening, linking him to previous incidents in Irving Park and other locations.
Authorities are piecing together the extent of his activities, and OregonLive reports that the string of arsons may have occurred over a span of 10 days. The suspicion intensifies as police consider Edwards a potential suspect in connected blazes near Irving Park on July 20, and additional fires off Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Sixth Avenue on July 27.
The investigations into these arsons continue amidst a wider backdrop of fire-related crime in Portland. This pattern of releases and re-arrests has brought further scrutiny to the city's law enforcement protocols. "Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper," KPTV adds, hoping to assist the ongoing investigation. Edwards' court appearance was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, but it's yet unclear if he remains in custody following the second arrest.
In a related incident, prosecutors charged Shaun Szwarz with 38 criminal counts, including three of first-degree bias crime for an alleged arson targeting non-white neighbors. In a statement obtained by That Oregon Life, one of the victims, Abraham Olmos, recounted escaping with his family from the inferno that Szwarz is accused of starting. Szwarz has pleaded not guilty and is expected to face arraignment on the new indictment this week, shedding further light on the issues of arson and hate crimes hurting the Portland community.
