The Hillsboro Police Department has arrested a man who allegedly set fire to a telecom utility pole and a memorial for two women who lost their lives in a traffic crash. Around 2:45 a.m. on August 19, 2024, HPD officers responded to the Sunset Square Shopping Center.

Callers reported seeing a man set fire to a utility pole and a community memorial for two women who had lost their lives in a traffic crash near the location. When officers reached the scene, they found the fire still burning and the suspect trying to leave the scene.

HPD says the man was defiant and aggressive claiming he would kill officers if they attempted to arrest him. Officers de-escalated the situation and took the suspect into custody.

The man was booked on charges of Criminal Mischief and Abuse of a Memorial to the Dead.