Over the weekend, police in Eugene, Oregon arrested a man in connection with the vandalism of several Asian businesses after he was caught throwing rocks through the windows of two restaurants.
Man arrested in connection with vandalism at two Asian-owned restaurants in Eugene
39-year-old Bernard Shifman was charged with two counts of felony first-degree criminal mischief and one count of disorderly conduct for throwing rocks through the windows of Lotus Garden and Jade Palace.
According to the Eugene Police Department, officers were dispatched to Lotus Garden after receiving reports that a man threw a rock through the front window of the restaurant. While investigating the incident, another caller reported a similar event at Jade Palace. Shifman was arrested in connection with both incidents.
Shifman is also being investigated in connection with a string of similar recent crimes seemingly targeting Asian-owned businesses in the area. Yi Shen Restaurant and Market has had its windows broken with rocks seven times in the last six months. The most recent incident occurred last week.
The vandalism targeting Yi Shen got the attention of local media, which prompted concerned community members to pitch in and raise funds to install a security for the market. The GoFundMe campaign has raised more than double the $4,000 goal and will pay for a multi-camera surveillance system.
Other recently targeted Asian businesses have included King's Asian Market, LZ Chinese Dish, Sushi Island and Chingu Restaurant, all located in the immediate area. Police are still investigating a possible motive, but these sound a hell of a lot like hate crimes, if you ask me.
Believe it or not, the 911 call that ultimately caught Shifman in the act was made by a dude who was out with a buddy in the middle of the night playing Pokemon Go. Michael Andrade says he was sitting in his friend's car playing the wildly popular augmented reality game -- he had no real reason to be on that street at two in the morning -- when he saw witnessed Shifman throw a rock through the window of Lotus Garden.
That's right. Catching Pokemon and catching vandals.
More here: Pokémon Go player helps Eugene cops nab alleged vandal
