Google software engineer is arrested for assault at Antifa riot in Portland

Google software engineer is arrested for assault at Antifa riot in Portland as a 32-year-old man who ‘set fire to police headquarters’ is charged with arson after he was identified by his name tattoo on his back

  • Edward Thomas Schinzing, 32, was charged after allegedly setting fire to using the Justice Center in downtown Portland on May 29
  • He was identified by a comparison with a jail booking photo and a distinctive tattoo of his last name across his upper back, federal authorities said 
  • In a separate incident, Google software engineer Zachary Ames Trudo was arrested during a riot downtown late Saturday
  • He was charged with assault, resisting arrest and attempting escape, among other offenses before being released 

A 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged with arson for allegedly setting fire to a public building during the early days of George Floyd protests in Portland. 

Edward Thomas Schinzing, 32, is accused of using fire to ‘maliciously damage’ the city’s Justice Center which houses the Multnomah County jail and the Portland Police Bureau headquarters, on May 29. 

According to federal prosecutors, Schinzing had been part of a group of 30 protesters who broke into the facility through the windows and spray-painted portions of the office, damaged equipment and furniture, and started fires.

Footage from YouTube, Twitter, surveillance cameras and photos shared online showed the suspects vandalizing the office space where three county employees had been working before being forced to flee.   

Edward Thomas Schinzing, 32, was among a group of protesters who broke into the Justice Center on May 29 (pictured) before vandalizing the space and setting fires 

Schinzing's booking photo

Authorities were able to identify him through a comparison of his booking photo (left) and photos from the scene (pictured) in which a distinctive tattoo of his last name across his upper back was visible

Authorities were able to identify him through a comparison of his booking photo (left) and photos from the scene (right) in which a distinctive tattoo of his last name across his upper back was visible

Schinzing, who was shirtless at the time of the incident, was identified by a comparison with a jail booking photo and a distinctive tattoo of his last name across his upper back, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

His tattoos had been visible in photographs of crowds marching across the Burnside Bridge before he entered the building.

Authorities say he spread a fire that started near the front of the office by lighting additional papers on fire and moving them into a drawer of a separate cubicle.

Schinzing appeared in federal court on Tuesday where he was charged with arson – a felony offense that carries up to 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. 

The facility houses the Multnomah County jail and the Portland Police Bureau headquarters

The facility houses the Multnomah County jail and the Portland Police Bureau headquarters

Schinzing allegedly spread a fire that started near the front of the office by lighting additional papers on fire and moving them into a drawer of a separate cubicle

Schinzing allegedly spread a fire that started near the front of the office by lighting additional papers on fire and moving them into a drawer of a separate cubicle

It comes two months after chaos erupted in the city which has continued to see unrest with protesters targeting a federal courthouse in downtown Portland.

Violent protests raged on for a 60th night on Saturday during an Antifa riot where a Google software engineer was among those arrested. 

Zachary Ames Trudo, 32, was charged with assault, resisting arrest and attempting escape, among other offenses early Sunday morning, journalist Andy Ngo reported. 

In a separate incident, Google software engineer Zachary Ames Trudo, 32, was charged with assault, resisting arrest and attempting escape, among other offenses early Sunday morning

Trudo's booking photo

In a separate incident, Google software engineer Zachary Ames Trudo, 32, was charged with assault, resisting arrest and attempting escape, among other offenses early Sunday morning

Trudo, who is from the Seattle area, had allegedly been involved in a violent protest in the city where rioters blocked traffic, targeted a courthouse and assaulted police officers.

He was taken into custody before being released on his own recognizance, according to his booking information.

Trudo was identified as a Google employee through his LinkedIn profile however, the tech giant is yet to publicly confirm whether or not he is employed by the company.

The city’s demonstrations in support of racial justice and police reform have been marred by violence prompting the federal government to intervene and send in militarized officers. 



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