A teenager was arrested and charged with a felony after he was caught spray painting a retaining wall.
On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at approximately 1:30 a.m., officers assigned to the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct responded to reports of suspicious activity in the area of Northeast Broadway and Northeast 33rd Avenue. When they arrived at the scene, officers saw people spray painting a retaining wall on private property. Officers detained two people and ultimately arrested one of them. He is identified as Asher Bengston, 18, of Portland. Before Bengston was transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center and booked on the charge of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree, officers searched his bag and found bottles full of paint.
The arrest came at a time when officers were actively patrolling the streets around I-84, an area targeted for graffiti clean-up as recently as this past weekend. PPB remains committed to stopping vandalism as it negatively impacts livability.
