Arrest Made in Arson Investigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 24th, 2022 at 8:00AM

CONTACT
Jason Hays
Lieutenant - La Grande Police Department
541-963-1017 / office    jhays@cityoflagrande.org
 

ARSONIST ARRESTED

On June 11th, 2022 at 1:53PM, the La Grande Fire Department and the La Grande Police Department responded to a report of a fire inside the Wildflower Lodge located at 508 16th Street in La Grande.

Emergency crews arrived moments later and quickly extinguished a fire located in a storage room near the Memory Care Ward.  The La Grande Fire Department assisted by the Wildflower Lodge Staff, the La Grande Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office evacuated the residents from the Lodge until the scene was safe.  Emergency crews were relieved to find that no one was injured in the fire.

The State Fire Marshall’s Office in partnership with the La Grande Fire Department, the La Grande Police Department and the Oregon State Police conducted a thorough investigation and determined the cause of the fire was arson.  Several items of evidentiary value were collected and sent to the Oregon State Police Forensic Lab for analysis.

On June 23rd, 2022 at 4:45PM, Teryn Demoss (20) of La Grande was arrested on the charges of Arson I and Reckless Endangering and lodged into the Union County Jail without incident.  Demoss was an employee of the Wildflower Lodge and served as the Lodge’s cook.  He had been employed with the Lodge for over a year.

This case is still under investigation and more charges may occur. Anyone with information in regards to this arson is asked to contact Det. Scott Norton at the La Grande Police Department at 541.963.1017.

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