Newport Police Arrest Suspect In Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vandalism And Widespread Graffiti Throughout Newport - 10/27/26
Incident: Arrest in Vietnam Veterans Memorial vandalization
Location: Vietnam Veterans Memorial-Newport
Date: October 27, 2026
Details:
On October 20, 2026, Newport Police officers were notified that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial had been vandalized with graffiti consisting of the word “Peace”, a peace symbol accompanied by two exclamation marks, and other words/symbols. This discovery prompted an investigation that has since identified over a dozen additional instances of similar graffiti on and beneath the Yaquina Bay Bridge, multiple locations east along SW Bay Boulevard, near Walgreens and Starbucks, and on other public and private properties throughout Newport. One of the affected locations was the bus shelter in front of Newport City Hall.
During the investigation, officers reviewed surveillance footage from City Hall and observed 31-year-old Shane Anthony McNees of Newport applying ink or paint to a glass window of the City Hall bus shelter on the evening of October 19th, the same night the graffiti was applied to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The marking visible in the footage was identical to graffiti found at the memorial and was made using the same color ink or paint.
On October 26th, Officer Coren Loper located McNees near NE 1st Street and NE Avery Street, in the vicinity of another peace-symbol marking. McNees was taken into custody and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on charges of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree and Abuse of a Memorial to the Dead (ORS 166.076), a Class A misdemeanor.
McNees was subsequently charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree in connection with the graffiti located at the City Hall bus shelter and on City Hall property. Additional charges for McNees are likely as more graffiti continues to be located.
The Newport Police Department takes vandalism of public spaces and private property seriously. Damage to a veteran’s memorial is particularly concerning because these sites serve as places of remembrance and honor for those who serve our country. The investigation into the graffiti incidents remains an important part of the department’s efforts to protect community property and preserve the spaces Newport residents and visitors share.
The incident remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding this case, contact Officer Coren Loper or Sgt. Mike Leake of the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348. The Newport Police Tip Line is available at 541-574-5455, or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856 or [email protected]
Information Released By: Sgt Leake, 541-574-3348
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