Suspect in crimes at Portland houses of worship arraigned on 11 charges
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Michael Bivins, the man who allegedly vandalized and attempted to set fire to several houses of worship in the Portland area, was arraigned on 11 charges Tuesday.
The charges stem from incidents taking place between April 30 and May 4, 2022.
Bivins is being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center on five counts of criminal mischief in the third-degree, one count of arson in the first-degree and five counts of bias crime in the second-degree.
Charges stem from the following incidents:
- Breaking a window Congregation Shir Tikvah on April 30.
- Breaking a window at Everybody Eats PDX, a Black-owned business, on May 1.
- Vandalizing the synagogue of Congregation Beth Israel on May 2.
- Trying to start a fire in the occupied mosque of the Muslim Community Center of Portland on May 3.
- Throwing a large rock through a library window at Congregation Beth Israel on May 4.
Bivins has been identified as a onetime freelance journalist who covered political extremism in Portland until 2019.
On May 4, Bivins came by the FOX 12 station asking to speak to a reporter. He said he was the one vandalizing places of worship, gave names and locations of places he had been to and vandalized, and said he would not stop committing these crimes before stating he would come back to the station Friday afternoon.
Bivins was arrested May 6 by Portland police officers.
Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office reminds if you are the victim of a bias crime assault or you are witnessing one, immediately call 9-1-1. In the case the suspect is no longer present or if you have information about a bias crime committed in the past, call the non-emergency line at 503-823-3333.
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