A transgender woman was recently arrested for destroying a 117-year-old Protestant church in downtown Portland, Oregon, in an arson attack.
According to the New York Post, Cameron David Storer, a trans woman also known as Nicolette Fait, set fire to the historic Portland Korean Church on Jan. 3. The arson attack left the church steeple charred, and city officials began demolition of the building last Friday, KOIN reported.
Storer, 27, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree arson, one count of second-degree arson, and two counts of second-degree burglary.
According to prosecutors, the suspect walked into the Multnomah County Detention Center and admitted to using a lighter to set the church on fire.
“Storer stated that they heard voices in their head saying they would ‘mutilate’ Storer if they did not burn the church down and that they had planned it up to one day in advance,” Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
Storer also reportedly has a history of mental illness and has been taking oxycodone.
Seventy-five firefighters, 12 fire engines, six ladder trucks and four battalion chiefs responded to the arson incident.
The church, previously known as the First German Evangelical Church, was first built in 1905. The building has been vacant for several years since the congregation relocated to a building in a suburb.
In 2020, the Portland Korean Church was damaged by a fire and was often illegally occupied by squatters.
Storer was arraigned on Thursday afternoon, and prosecutors asked that the suspect be denied bail. According to court documents, Storer did not enter a plea.
Storer’s landlord has also filed a notice of eviction case against them.
The area around the church will remain closed until the demolition is complete.
“All travel in this area will be restricted until the building is removed,” the statement reads.
Photo courtesy: ©Unsplash/maxkuk
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
