PORTLAND, Ore. — The FBI field offices in Seattle and Portland announced Wednesday that they are offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspect involved in last month's ballot box fires in Vancouver and Portland.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, a fire at a ballot box at the Fisher's Landing Transit Center in Vancouver destroyed or damaged about 500 ballots and required the ballot box to be replaced. That same day, a ballot box fire outside the Multnomah County Elections Division office in southeast Portland destroyed three ballots.
The Portland Police Bureau said that it believes the same person set both fires on Oct. 28 and was also responsible for a similar incident in Vancouver in early October. The suspect has not been located and no arrests have been made.
The FBI on Wednesday said it is asking the public to help them specifically with information about the suspect vehicle, described as a dark-colored 2003-2004 Volvo S60 sedan with a light-colored interior. The vehicle did not have a front license plate, and the FBI said its rear license plate was "fraudulent."
"No detail is too small. No tip is too minor. If it relates to a Volvo matching our description, we want to hear about it," said Gregory L. Austin, acting special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Seattle.
Anyone with information can contact the FBI anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov or by phone at 1-800-225-5324 (CALL-FBI). People can also call the Seattle or Portland field offices directly to share information.
The FBI also released surveillance video of the Oct. 28 ballot box fire in Portland.
Video shows explosion, fire at ballot box in Vancouver
Surveillance video from C-Tran shows the moment the suspect set fire to the ballot box in Vancouver on Oct. 28. The video shows the north lot entrance of Fisher's Landing. In the video, a car drives up to the ballot box. Something can be seen emitting light between the car and the ballot box. The driver then takes off, does a U-turn and drives away. Shortly after, smoke can be seen coming from the ballot box, followed by a large blinding light from what appears to be an explosion.
Suspect information
PPB said the suspect is a white man between the ages of 30 and 40. He's balding or has very short hair, and has a medium-to-thin build with a thin face. He likely has metalworking experience based on the detailed melding on the device used to set the fires.
Anyone with information about the suspect or suspect vehicle is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper at Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181
Crime Stoppers of Oregon is offering cash rewards up to $2,500 cash for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters remain anonymous. Information can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Oregon by visiting http://www.crimestoppersoforegon.com.