Prineville, Ore. — A 24-year-old Prineville man was arrested Saturday after police said an investigation linked him to graffiti discovered at multiple downtown businesses.
The Prineville Police Department said officers began receiving reports on the morning of Friday, Sept. 18th, of graffiti vandalism at several businesses in downtown Prineville.
During the investigation, officers identified multiple businesses that appeared to have been vandalized during the previous night. Police said the graffiti at the different locations appeared to contain the same distinctive “tag,” or repeated name, symbol or design.
Officers Adair and Moore investigated the incidents and reviewed available surveillance footage, which police said helped identify a suspect.
At about 7:49 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19th, Officer Moore located the suspect, identified by police as Ayden Hill, 24, of Prineville.
Hill was taken into custody and lodged at the Crook County Jail on nine counts of second-degree criminal mischief and one count of resisting arrest, according to police.
The department said the investigation remains active and additional incidents may not yet have been reported.
Among the other locations vandalized was the Prineville American Legion, according to a Facebook post made by the group on on Saturday.
Police are asking residents and business owners who discover similar graffiti on their property, or who have surveillance footage or other information related to the incidents, to contact the Prineville Police Department at 541-447-4168.
Police also released a photograph showing graffiti associated with the investigation in hopes of identifying additional incidents.
Join the discussion on Facebook or X (formally Twitter)
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject matter expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
