Suspect in 2022 Hillsboro Weil Arcade fire, manslaughter sentenced to 30 years

Two years after downtown Hillsboro went up in flames, the person accused of starting the fire will spend 30 years in prison.

On Tuesday, March 26, Rose Sunrise was sentenced by a Washington County Circuit Judge after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter, first-degree arson, second-degree arson, second-degree burglary and two counts of first-degree criminal mischief. Two charges of second-degree murder were dismissed in the plea deal.

Sunrise, formerly known as Roel Leon and Rolanda Leon, was accused of a string of robberies at businesses located in downtown Hillsboro’s Weil Arcade, starting December 4, 2021.

According to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, Sunrise initially stole a number of “seemingly random items,” with a nearby surveillance camera depicting the defendant leaving the premises with the property.

Early in the morning on Jan. 2, 2022, Sunrise returned to the Weil Arcade to again steal miscellaneous property at a different business.

Before leaving, the defendant set fire to the building. A security camera across the street captured the scene — showing the defendant recording the growing blaze on a phone.

Shortly after Sunrise left, a patrol officer spotted the fire and called for assistance.

Tearing through the historic building, the fire destroyed and damaged several businesses . The blaze also took the life of Ronald Knapp, who is believed to have been using the second floor of the Weil Arcade to escape the cold. His remains were found over a month after the tragedy.

In the following evening, Sunrise set two more fires in vehicles parked outside a nearby auto shop, which was also caught on surveillance footage.

Hillsboro Police Department officers launched an investigation and quickly identified Sunrise as the primary suspect. On Jan. 5, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant on the defendant’s residence — finding clothes that matched the videos of the suspect, along with the stolen items.

After the arrest, Sunrise admitted to both setting the fires and burglarizing the Weil Arcade.

“These events significantly impacted many people in the Hillsboro community. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the numerous victims, especially the family of Mr. Knapp, for their grace and patience throughout the court process,” the district attorney’s office said in a release. “We also thank the community for its support of the affected businesses following this devastating fire.”

Sunrise will immediately be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving this sentence.

Editor's note: This story and headline was updated to include that second-degree murder charges were dropped as a result of the plea agreement.