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Portland police arrest man allegedly responsible for ‘MOOK’ graffiti tags

By Jerzy Shedlock, Columbian Breaking News Reporter
Published: September 14, 2018, 8:17am
2 Photos
Members of the Portland Police Bureau’s Central and North precincts’ Street Crime Units arrested Marcus E. Gunther on Thursday at Southwest 13th Avenue and Main Street in Portland.
Members of the Portland Police Bureau’s Central and North precincts’ Street Crime Units arrested Marcus E. Gunther on Thursday at Southwest 13th Avenue and Main Street in Portland. The 30-year-old is accused of spray painting properties around the Portland-Vancouver area with the letters "MOOK." (PPB) Photo Gallery

Portland police arrested a 30-year-old man they believe is responsible for the graffiti tag “MOOK,” which has been spray painted on properties around the Portland-Vancouver area.

Members of the Portland Police Bureau’s Central and North precincts’ Street Crime Units arrested Marcus E. Gunther on Thursday at Southwest 13th Avenue and Main Street in Portland, according to a PPB news release.

“Gunther was arrested in relation to two graffiti investigations,” the release says.

The initial investigation started back in late June, when officers responded to reports of damage to a fence and three electronic signs at the Northeast 42nd Avenue overpass on Interstate 84. The property belongs to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The cost to clean up and repair the fence and sings was estimated to be nearly $25,000, Portland police said.

The second investigation began more recently, on Sept. 6, when officers were dispatched to the U-Store Self Storage business at 1520 N. Interstate Ave. in Portland. There was another report of graffiti.

In both investigations, the tags consisted of the letters M-O-O-K. Police determined through the investigations that “MOOK” is allegedly Gunther’s signature tag.

Gunther was booked into Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of first- and second-degree criminal mischief, as well as a probation violation.

Gunther’s graffiti has also appeared in Vancouver. Most notably, MOOK was spray painted on a freeway sign immediately before the southbound lanes of the Interstate 5 Bridge.

The frequency of graffiti, gang- or tagger-related, tends to be cyclical, Clark County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Brent Waddell told The Columbian earlier this year, when readers were asking whether there was an increase in the vandalism.

“What happens is there are taggers going around all over the place, and a patrol deputy busts them,” Waddell said. “And so, those people drop off for a while. Someone may come in to replace them, or number of spots (of graffiti) may decrease for a time.

Investigators believe Gunther may have other victims and encouraged anyone who has had property spray painted with his alleged tag to call Portland police at 503-823-3333.

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Columbian Breaking News Reporter