Woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for deadly Hillsboro fire
HILLSBORO, Ore. (KPTV) - A woman pleaded guilty to manslaughter, arson, and burglary amongst others after a Dec. crime spree in Hillsboro, according to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
Rose Sunrise, formerly Roel Leon, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday.
Sunrise pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, first-degree and second-degree arson, two counts of first-degree criminal mischief, and second-degree burglary after a crime spree in downtown Hillsboro.
The crime spree began on Dec. 4, 2021, when Sunrise broke into a business in the Weil Arcade in downtown Hillsboro and stole many seemingly random items.
She then returned to the arcade on Jan. 2, 2022, and broke into different businesses, and again stole miscellaneous property.
Sunrise then set fire to the building, watching the fire grow and recording it on a phone before leaving.
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Ronald Knapp was killed in the fire, investigators believe he had taken shelter on the second floor of the building to escape the cold.
The fire spread throughout the building and destroyed Weil Arcade. Several businesses and surrounding buildings were affected.
On Jan. 3, Sunrise intentionally set two more fires in cars parked outside a nearby auto shop. Surveillance video shows her stoking the flames before leaving.
During an investigation into the fires Sunrise was identified as the primary suspect, and a search warrant was executed on her home, where distinctive clothes and items were found matching surveillance video of the suspect, as well as items stolen in the burglaries.
After her arrest, Sunrise admitted to burglarizing the Weil Arcade and setting the fires.
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