Former Clackamas County Commissioner Melissa Fireside is now the subject of an interstate and international manhunt after Oregon officials said she violated the terms of her release and may have fled the country with her nine-year-old son. Fireside, who resigned from public office earlier this year amid felony theft and fraud charges, is accused of defrauding an elderly man while serving in a position of public trust.
The Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ) filed a motion in late October to revoke Fireside’s conditional release after investigators discovered that she was no longer living at her registered address in Lexington, Oregon. Court filings allege that she took her son out of school and crossed the border, possibly using falsified documents and an Austrian passport. Federal and state authorities are working together to locate her and ensure the child’s safety.
Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the state’s primary concern is the well-being of Fireside’s son and reaffirmed that no one, regardless of position or political affiliation, is above the law. Investigators obtained records suggesting that Fireside booked a flight from Mexico to Amsterdam and may have used false identification to enter Mexico. The origin of the Austrian passport remains under investigation.
Fireside’s legal troubles began months earlier, when she was indicted in March 2025 on eight felony counts, including aggravated first-degree theft, computer crime, identity theft and forgery. The charges stemmed from allegations that she exploited Arthur Petrone, an 83-year-old resident of an assisted living facility in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Petrone, who had diminished mental capacity, was the longtime partner of Fireside’s mother.
According to a detailed affidavit, Fireside allegedly guided Petrone through resetting his online banking credentials during a recorded call, and then used his information to access his accounts at Rivermark Community Credit Union. Investigators say she obtained a $21,000 personal loan in his name and later made withdrawals totaling about $30,000, including two direct payments to herself and one to Oregon State Representative April Dobson, a friend who had previously loaned Fireside nearly the same amount.
Prosecutors claim Fireside created a fake email address in Petrone’s name, linked it to her own business, Resolute Consulting, LLC, and used it to communicate with the credit union. Investigators determined that Petrone had no connection to the company or the email address, leading authorities to believe the account was created to impersonate him.
Dobson, who represents parts of Clackamas County, told investigators that she lent Fireside money as a personal favor and that the loan was repaid within a month.
Fireside was elected to the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners in November 2024, defeating incumbent Mark Shull, but her tenure was short-lived. She resigned in March 2025 after the Oregon Department of Justice brought charges following a joint investigation by the Lake Oswego Police Department and the DOJ’s Criminal Justice Division.
Following her arraignment, Fireside pleaded not guilty and was released under conditions requiring her to remain in Oregon and have no contact with the victim or Rep. Dobson. Her trial was scheduled to begin December 2, 2025.
Now, after her apparent disappearance, Oregon authorities are coordinating with federal agencies to locate Fireside and pursue extradition if she is confirmed to be abroad. Officials said the process could be complex depending on the country involved.
Fireside’s ex-partner alerted authorities that she and her son were missing after learning the child had been withdrawn from school. While investigators have emphasized that the child is not believed to be in immediate danger, his return and safety remain a top priority.
Sources: Oregon Department of Justice (1), Oregon Public Broadcasting, Oregon Department of Justice (2), OregonLive
