Police investigating arson at Vancouver mayor’s home

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KPTV) - The Vancouver Police Department says someone tried to set fire to the home of Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle and the search for the suspect continues Tuesday morning.

Just after 9:30 p.m., police responded to a report of an arson at a home in the 3500 block of F Street. Police said the suspect set fire near the garage and was confronted by the mayor’s husband, Terry Ogle. The suspect fled on foot, and Ogle was able to extinguish the fire.

The fire only caused minor damage to the garage.

Officers arrived to the scene and brought in a K-9 to track the suspect. The suspect has not been located. Police said the suspect is a man who is about 5 feet 10 inches tall. No other details about the suspect were released.

Mayor McEnerny-Ogle was at a City Council meeting and was not home at the time of the arson.

FOX 12 spoke with McEnerny-Ogle on Tuesday morning. She says this is not the first time their home has been hit by crime.

“We had had a burglary the night before. Smashed the back door, just totaled it out, and this person spent some time in our home,” she said. “We have been caring for my brother who’s in hospice, and so we took the night off to do night duty with Patrick and came home to that.”

McEnerny-Ogle told FOX 12 she believes the arson was politically motivated.

“Every elected has threats. Some of our City Counselors have had threats. Whatever decision they make upsets at least one person. So every single counselor, I’m sure, has had a threat of some sort,” she said.

Arson investigators and the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating, and the motive is unknown at this time.

No additional details have been released.

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