Man accused of murder, arson, robbery in fire, store clerk’s death

A 21-year-old Vancouver man has been arrested on suspicion of first degree murder, arson and robbery in connection with the death of a Vancouver woman whose body was found in the ruins of a burned-out convenience store where she worked, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Mitchell Heng was arrested Thursday by detectives and the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team at a relative’s residence and then served a search warrant at his apartment at 13608 N.E. 72nd St., according to a bulletin from the sheriff’s office.

“After developing concrete information, Major Crimes Detectives along with detectives from the Tactical Detective Unit located the suspect at a relative’s home and took him into custody without incident,” the bulletin said.

The body of Amy Marie Hooser, 47, was found in the ruins of the Oasis Market convenience store at 3412 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd. after a three-alarm fire ripped through the four-unit Sifton Plaza retail complex early Sunday morning.

The complex, on the north side of Fourth Plain Boulevard, was anchored by a Texaco gas station and the Oasis Market, and had three other small tenants — a barber shop, a pet supply store and a pet grooming business.

The Clark County Medical Examiner ruled that Hooser’s death was a homicide, and that it was caused by smoke inhalation and blunt force trauma.

Heng will make his first appearance in court Friday morning.