For years, officers with the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the City of Portland Graffiti Program received reports of "RANGO" tags on public and private property. Members of Central Precinct's Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) conducted a long-term investigation, documenting numerous incidents affecting local businesses, residential properties, transportation corridors, and public infrastructure. The damage is estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars.
On February 19, 2026, Central NRT, in collaboration with partners, arrested 22-year-old Willam P. Matthews, 22, of the Cedar Mill area of Washington County. He was transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) and lodged on the following charges: Criminal Mischief in the First Degree (five counts) and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree (three counts).
Later that day, investigators served a search warrant on Matthews' vehicle and attached trailer in Washington County. Officers seized more than 150 cans of spray paint, 14 one-gallon buckets of paint, paint rollers and brushes, hundreds of custom "Rango" stickers, paint-stained clothing, and other graffiti-related materials.
"Graffiti vandalism has a real impact on our neighborhoods, our small businesses, and the overall sense of community in Portland," Chief Bob Day said. "I'm proud of the dedicated work by our Central Precinct officers and investigators who stayed focused on this case. We will continue to prioritize the most significant offenders and work with our community partners to hold people accountable."
While PPB does not have the resources to investigate graffiti full time, PPB has investigated and made significant cases against other prolific graffiti vandals, including this major investigation last year.
The City of Portland continues with a multi-faceted strategy to address vandalism, tagging, and unlawfully applied graffiti. Community members can report graffiti or request assistance with cleanup of graffiti here.
Central NRT is continuing active investigations into this case and other graffiti vandalism cases in the city, prioritizing the most significant offenders. If anyone has information about a graffiti vandal, especially the names and addresses of these criminal suspects, please email tips (include as much detail as possible) to investigators at crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov attn: Central NRT.
Source: Portland Police Bureau