PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The mayor of Vancouver is speaking out after someone attempted to light her home on fire Monday night.
Anne McEnerny-Ogle was at a Vancouver city council meeting when the incident happened, but her husband caught the arsonist in the act.
Vancouver police and fire department were called to the mayor’s home shortly after 9 p.m. Monday. McEnerny-Ogle’s husband, Terry, told police that he went outside to check something and noticed a man near the house that took off running. He realized that the man had started a fire near the garage.
Police K9s searched the area but never caught that suspect.
The arson attack came one day after McEnerny-Ogle’s home was burglarized. She believes the same person committed both crimes and that they were likely targeted attacks.
“Usually, people would write you or call you… It has been ramping up in that degree, and not as violent as this, thank God,” she said. “But I don’t care if you’re Steve Calloway in Hillsboro or if you’re Jason down south or if you’re over in Gresham or if you’re Ted Wheeler. Our city councilors and even the planning commissioners and our lawyers, anyone who’s making those decisions of land use, police, fire, parks … I don’t care what it is. There is this feeling perhaps that they have the right to perhaps be violent and that’s the scary part.”
The Vancouver mayor also told KOIN 6 News that her home’s security cameras were stolen in the burglary, so they weren’t able to catch the arson suspect on camera. Vancouver police set up security cameras at the home Tuesday.