Man arrested in woman’s killing at NE Bend apartment

(Update: Court charging document indicates gun used in crime)

A Bend man has been arrested on a first-degree manslaughter charge, accused of killing a Bend woman at the Cedar West Apartments Saturday afternoon, police said Sunday.

Alan Peter Porciello, 36, was booked into the Deschutes County Jail early Sunday morning on charges of first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon, with bail initial bail set at $260,000.

Bend police also identified the victim as Jenny Lynn Cashwell, 37.

No other details were released as the investigation continues.

But the initial district attorney’s office charging document, called an information, filed in court Monday confirmed a gun was used in the crime. Porciello was due for initial arraignment on the two charges Monday afternoon.

Bend police investigators and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab worked late into Saturday night at the scene of the killing, Apartment G102 at the apartments located at 825 NE Watt Way, Lt. Jason Maniscalco said.

Oregon law defines manslaughter as recklessly causing a death or “murder under extreme emotional disturbance.” Murder is defined as causing someone’s death while committing, attempting to commit or fleeing various other crimes, from arson or burglary to robbery or child (under 14) abuse or assault.

Bend police had responded around 3:45 p.m. to a call to Deschutes County 911 dispatchers by a man at the apartments, located near Costco, Maniscalco said late Saturday.

Officers went to the apartment and determined a woman inside had died, Maniscalco said.

Maniscalco on Sunday still could not confirm police-fire scanner reports that they were called to the victim of a single gunshot wound, who was reported to be unresponsive at the time.

However, the police spokesman said Saturday the agency “believes there is no further danger to the public.”

Bend police investigators were being assisted by the Oregon State Police Crime Lab and the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office.

Porciello had no serious criminal record in Oregon, court records showed — only two misdemeanor citations that were treated as violations a decade or more ago, when he was living in Redmond, each leading to guilty pleas and fines of $225 in 2001 and $166 in 2009.

Cedar West resident Robert Mozzetti, who shared photos of the scene with NewsChannel 21, said Sunday of Porciello: “He wasn’t one of those quiet neighbors that you wouldn’t expect something like this to happen. He had had problems with a lot of people here, including the management sometimes — even over his guns.”

But other people who knew Porciello that NewsChannel 21 spoke to on Sunday said they were surprised to learn of his alleged involvement.

“I interacted with him just like a couple weeks ago. We were having a conversation and he was really nice,” Kamryn Petteway said.

“We saw him quite a bit. We have barbecues around here and everything, so he went to them,” Chris Ayers said. “But no flags went up.”

One resident said she understood Porciello lived with his mother.

“I only had a few conversations in passing with Alan, mostly about music, but he was nice enough to my family and let my kids see what was under his eye patch when they asked him if he was a pirate,” she said.

As for Saturday’s frightening turn of events, she said, “At first they (police) showed up with their armored car with guns and shields and started yelling for everyone to get inside. A lot more cops showed up, along with an ambulance and fire truck.”

“After they brought the body out, they started going door to door, getting our IDs and asking if we heard or saw anything or if we knew them,” she said.