Rude awakening: Wash. man accused of smashing windows at 3 downtown Bend businesses
Update: Adding video, information)
Police say there's no sign anything was stolen
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Three downtown Bend businesses began their post-holiday work week Tuesday with smashed windows to repair and conversations with police, who arrested a Washington state man on the scene.
“It looks like somebody and too much alcohol,” Jim Coon, owner at Alleda Real Estate told NewsChannel 21 on Tuesday.
Alleda Real Estate, The Brickhouse Restaurant and Via Delia were the three businesses that were vandalized overnight.
Coon said his business , which has operated in the Bend's downtown for about 12 years, has never been vandalized like this before. He said flower pots had been broken in the past, but never windows.
“With all that’s going on in the world, this is not the biggest thing," Coon said. "We can clean it up and fix the window.”
Bend police Sergeant Wes Murphy said dispatchers received a call around 2:30 a.m. that two people were breaking windows in the area.
Police detained two men, including a 21-year-old Des Moines, Wash., resident who allegedly broke the windows with a beer bottle, a chair and a rock. The other man was determined not to have been involved, Murphy added.
The sergeant said the suspect also tipped over and scattered the contents of two newspaper stands near the intersection of Oregon Avenue and Wall Street. Officers later stood up the stands and cleaned up the contents.
Based on officers’ observations and statements by the suspect, alcohol is believed to be a factor, Murphy said.
Police Lieutenant Juli McConkey told NewsChannel 21 incidents like this are more common downtown during the summer months. Incidents that have led to more police patrols in the area during summer.
“We’ll pair up two officers at a time and walk around the downtown area and try to mitigate some of those problems," McConkey said. "We try and be a resource for people before those type of problems start."
The man was lodged at the Deschutes County Jail on four counts of first-degree and two counts of second-degree criminal mischief, as well as offensive littering.
The value of the damaged property was being compiled, Murphy said.
Matt Paine, the owner of Via Delia, told NewsChannel 21 he was just glad no one was injured.
Lt. McConkey said help from witnesses is always welcome. The best place for people to report a crime similar to this is to call the Deschutes County non-emergency dispatch line at 541-693-6911.
