Federal law enforcement officials are still searching for the man they believe set fire to ballot boxes in Portland and Washington and are offering $25,000 for any information leading to a conviction.
Federal investigators said Wednesday that they continue to investigate the arson attacks, which struck two ballot boxes in Vancouver, Washington; and a ballot box in Portland. One of the Vancouver attacks torched hundreds of ballots.
But federal investigators offered few updates on the case. They emphasized during a press conference that they hope someone will come forward with information about the suspect’s vehicle: a 2003 or 2004 Volvo S-60 sedan, dark-colored with a light-colored interior. The Volvo is missing the logo on the front grill.
“No detail is too small, no tip is too minor,” said Greg Austin, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle offices. “If it relates to a Volvo matching our description, we want to hear about it.”
Austin said investigators believe that the driver of the Volvo used a fake license plate during the attacks and said technology to read the license plates haven’t helped. They also aren’t sure if the car is stolen or belongs to the suspect.
“The public should know that it may have had a real license plate at other times,” Austin said.
The investigation is being jointly led by FBI field offices in Seattle and Portland. Federal officials said they had no information about whether the suspect could strike again. They also declined to comment on reporting elsewhere that suggested the devices had the message “Free Gaza” written on them.
“The public understandably wants to know what the ideology and the motive is behind these attacks,” Austin told reporters. “We have not been able to determine them, but we are certainly exploring all angles in an attempt to determine what the motive was.”
Investigators believe the suspect is a white male between 30 and 40 years old with thinning hair.
Although investigators declined to discuss any details about the devices used in the attacks, they believe the suspect has experience welding and metal working.
People can send tips to a free tipline, 1-800-CALL-FBI, the email address tips@fbi.gov or visit a local field office.
This story comes from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
Copyright 2024 Oregon Public Broadcasting
