Bones found; missing Beaverton woman’s son arrested

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) – Police say officers have found human bones in a fire pit on a Beaverton property after arresting the son of a missing woman.
 
Beaverton Police Officer Bryan Dalton said Tuesday that officers arrested 24-year-old Matthew Gutierrez Monday for abuse of a corpse after being asked to do a welfare check on his mother – 57-year-old Katherine McDowell.
 
Dalton said later that Gutierrez made statements to police Monday, saying he had burned his mother’s body in the backyard fire pit.
 
Dalton says the remains were removed after a search warrant was served on Tuesday. He says officials have confirmed the remains are human and are believed to be Katherine McDowell.
 
It wasn’t immediately clear if Gutierrez had an attorney.