Police photos prompt tip, lead to Sunriver man’s arrest for ‘Jesus Loves U’ graffiti on buildings in Sunriver, Corvallis
(Update: Sunriver man arrested in Sunriver graffiti vandalism)
SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) – Security photos in a Sunriver Police social-media post generated a tip that led to the arrest Wednesday of a 22-year-old Sunriver man who allegedly spray-painted “Jesus Loves U’ messages on several buildings in Sunriver and Corvallis last month.
The tipster recognized the man, Jack Gunderson, and shared his name with Sunriver Police, who contacted Gunderson Wednesday afternoon at his Sunriver home regarding the ongoing investigation, Lieutenant Steven Lopez said.
The lieutenant said the man admitted to incidents in both communities and was arrested on two counts of felony criminal mischief. Corvallis police also were notified of the arrest, he said. Gunderson was booked into the Deschutes County Jail and later released on his own recognizance, a jail representative said.
"The Sunriver Police Department would like to thank the Sunriver community for helping identify the suspect in this case and the Corvallis Police Department for their collaboration in the investigation," Lopez added.
Earlier story:
SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) – A graffiti-tagging vandal who spray-painted “Jesus Loves U” and similar religious messages at several locations around Sunriver early on Saturday, May 13 apparently committed similar criminal mischief a few days earlier at a Corvallis mosque and a dozen locations around that city, police said.
The Sunriver Police Department, having made the connection, reached out to Corvallis police and posted several higher-quality surveillance images from the Corvallis incidents on their Facebook page this week. Along with the “Jesus Loves U” message, the photos show the male lighting a cigarette and wearing an OSU Beavers sweatshirt.
“Whether or not he lives in Corvallis or here, or what he was doing in Sunriver, we haven’t determined,” Sunriver Police Lt. Stephen Lopez said Tuesday.
In Sunriver, the tagger hit sidewalks and walls in the Sunriver Village business park and other locations. Corvallis police said the suspect had been involved in the vandalism committed May 11 at the Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center on NW Kings Boulevard and a dozen other reports as of last week, all with the same message of "Jesus Loves U."
Corvallis police obtained surveillance video showing the message spray-painted on a sidewalk, but said the same message was painted on several buildings.
Sunriver Police said earlier the male is being sought in connection with criminal mischief at properties near Ponderosa Road, Fremont Crossing and the Sunriver Village.
Residents of those areas have been asked to check home surveillance video for footage on May 13 between midnight and 6 a.m.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Sunriver police at 541-593-1014.
