Salem, OR. — A Salem man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after a series of violent incidents Monday morning that included a house fire, an attempted robbery, and an assault.
The incident began around 10:17 a.m. on November 24, when neighbors in the 300 block of Khartoum Street SE reported a residential fire. Witnesses told emergency responders that a man—later identified as 26-year-old Ethan Thorington—was seen leaving the home shortly before flames became visible. Salem Fire crews arrived to find the structure fully engulfed and called for a second alarm. After the fire was brought under control, a Deputy Fire Marshal conducted an initial investigation with assistance from Salem Police arson detectives.
A little more than an hour later, at approximately 11:41 a.m., a Marion County Sheriff’s Office sergeant requested emergency assistance at a business in the 2800 block of Commercial Street SE. Thorington allegedly tried to steal an employee’s car keys and assaulted her before fleeing. The sergeant pursued the suspect and, with help from two bystanders, detained him until Salem patrol officers arrived.
Thorington was transported to the Salem Police Department for interviews, during which investigators say he admitted to setting the fire and attempting the robbery. Officers also determined there was probable cause to arrest him for several domestic violence-related crimes connected to previous incidents.
He was booked into the Marion County Jail on charges including first-degree arson, third-degree robbery, fourth-degree assault, domestic violence menacing, domestic violence strangulation, and two counts of reckless endangering.
The investigation remains ongoing.
About the Author
