A jury has found 55-year-old Calvin Jerome Tucker III guilty in connection with a gasoline fire that tore through a West Salem four-plex last year, trapping families inside and killing three pet cats. Jurors convicted Tucker on arson, animal abuse and reckless endangerment counts tied to the October 3, 2025, blaze on Stoneway Drive NW.
According to KATU, the jury convicted Tucker of three counts of first-degree arson, three counts of first-degree aggravated animal abuse and eight counts of recklessly endangering another person. KOIN, however, reported that Tucker was found guilty of three counts of third-degree arson alongside the same animal abuse and endangerment counts. The two station accounts diverge on the degree of the arson charges, and no verdict document was available to confirm which account is accurate.
A Fire That Trapped Families Inside
The blaze broke out around 10:15 p.m. at the two-story four-plex, according to the same KOIN report. Three of the four apartments were occupied by families when the fire started, the Polk County District Attorney's Office said, and one family was trapped on the second story, needing bystanders' help to get their children to safety.
A fourth apartment held five cats; firefighters managed to save two, but the other three died in the fire. The city of Salem's own account of the night said the fire began in the stairwell, blocking the primary exit for residents, and that several people were forced to jump from a second-story balcony to escape the smoke and flames, per the City of Salem.
Investigators Point to a Breakup as the Motive
A joint investigation by the Salem Police Department and Salem Fire Department determined that Tucker intentionally started the fire using gasoline. Prosecutors said the attack came in retaliation after one of the apartment's occupants ended a multi-year relationship with Tucker, according to the Polk County District Attorney's Office as relayed in the same KOIN article.
A contemporaneous report from the Salem Reporter described a large, two-alarm fire that damaged all four apartments and displaced six adults and seven children. The Salem Fire Department estimated the blaze caused about $100,000 in damage, the outlet reported at the time.
Jury Cites a Lack of Remorse
The trial lasted three days, and jurors deliberated for about two hours before reaching their verdict, the station's report noted. The Polk County District Attorney's Office said the jury specifically found that Tucker had shown no remorse for his actions.
Tucker is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10, 2026. No sentencing outcome or additional court filings detailing the final charges have yet been made public.
