Crime

19-yr-old accused of setting fire to Portland police union building now faces federal arson charge

Updated May 06, 2021; Posted May 06, 2021

By Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLive

A 19-year-old woman accused of setting fire to the Portland police union building last month in North Portland now faces a federal arson charge.

Alma Yessenia Raven-Guido made her first appearance Thursday afternoon via video in U.S. District Court in Portland. Assistant Federal Public Defender Francesca Freccero entered a not guilty plea to the one-count arson indictment on Raven-Guido’s behalf. ... FBI agents arrested the teen at her Beaverton home Wednesday afternoon and she spent a night in Portland’s downtown jail.

The arson charge alleges Raven-Guido maliciously damaged or attempted to damage the Portland Police Association office on North Lombard Street, described in the indictment as a building “used in interstate commerce and in activity affecting interstate commerce.” The federal charge is based on an interpretation that unions affect interstate commerce, according to prosecutors.

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Raven-Guido had been arrested last month on suspicion of second-degree arson, criminal mischief and two counts of riot in state court after an informant told police that Raven-Guido was one of the people who poured a flammable liquid on the building on April 13, according to a probable cause affidavit. Her actions caused a fire to grow outside the union building, authorities allege.

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In addition to being a student, Raven-Guido has a job at a bakery, with longstanding ties to the community and no prior criminal history, her lawyer said.

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-- Maxine Bernstein

Email mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

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