Man, 32, who ‘set fire to Portland’s police headquarters’ during the city’s riots is arrested after cops spotted his name tattooed on his back in security footage
- Edward Thomas Schinzing, 32, was charged with arson after allegedly setting fire to the Justice Center in downtown Portland on May 29
- Authorities say he was among a group of 30 protesters who broke into the facility which houses the Multnomah County jail and Portland Police Bureau HQ
- 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
- Photos from that night’s protests show a shirtless Schinzing marching with a crowds, with his tattoo visible
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 allegedly broke into the Justice Center on May 29 (pictured) before vandalizing the space and setting fires
The U.S. Attorney’s Office released photos of Schinzing participating in a march the night he allegedly targeted the Justice Center
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.
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 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.
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 this weekend.
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.