Police: Historic Portland Church allegedly burned down by mentally ill, bearded woman high on drugs

Police: Historic Portland Church allegedly burned down by mentally ill, bearded woman high on drugs

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PORTLAND, OR – A mentally ill man in Portland has been taken into custody for burning down a church that had stood for over a century in the city. The man turned himself in to a detention center and confessed to the crime.

On January 3rd, the Portland Fire Department responded to the downtown area for a reported fire before 6 p.m. When they arrived on the scene, they saw the Portland Korean Church fully engulfed in the area since 1905.

Twelve Portland fire engines, six ladder trucks, four battalion chiefs, and 75 firefighters could not save the building from total destruction. When the flames were finally extinguished the historic church was deemed unsafe and now has to be razed.

Not long after the fire had been extinguished, the alleged person who was responsible for destroying the church turned himself in to the Multnomah County Detention Center. When he, Cameron David Storer, walked into the building, he allegedly confessed to burning the church down, claiming “voices” in his head told him to do it. The Multnomah County District Attorney released a statement on the incident, in part, it said:

“Storer stated that [he] heard voices in [his] head saying they would ‘mutilate’ Storer if [he] did not burn the church down and [he] planned it up to one day in advance.”

Storer allegedly admitted that he had broken into the church with the intention of burning it down. He reportedly used a lighter and set papers which were inside on fire and then exited the structure and watched the building burn down from a nearby business.

Storer, who identified as a woman, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree arson, one count of second-degree arson, and two counts of second-degree burglary.

Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office reported Storer, who also goes by the name Nicolette Fait, allegedly admitted to taking oxycodone before the arson. He allegedly admitted to having a history of mental illness.

https://fundourpolice.com/

The church, which is now owned by a Beaverton dentist, was a three-story 3,000 square foot wooden building. While it was built to worship God, in recent years it had fallen into decay and had been known to have what was described as “heavy transient activity.”

The owner allegedly had the building boarded up and secured as it had been deemed unsafe in 2020 due to another fire. It had last been checked a few days before Storer allegedly breaking in and setting fire to the church.

The area around the church was taped off and people warned not to enter the area until the building could be demolished for fear that the large steeple that once stood proudly on the roof would fall and the structure collapse. The building was later demolished out of safety concerns.

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About The Author

I am a proud husband to a wife who works in education and the father to two wonderful children. My first focus is on my family and spending time with them, my second is on my career. I am a current law enforcement lieutenant and have been an officer for over twenty years. Chris Elliot is a pen name for safety reasons.

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