PORTLAND, Ore. — Three teens charged with murdering a man in North Portland are now accused of committing a home invasion nearby shortly before the man was shot, and then stole his car.
Ricky Malone, Sr., 65, was found shot and badly wounded near the 10200 block of North Mohawk Avenue early on the morning on Oct. 14. He later died from his injuries.
Two 15-year-old boys and one 14-year-old boy were arrested Thursday in connection with the killing, Portland police said. Friday, police announced that the killing was part of a larger crime spree.
Police identified the 15-year-olds as Aaron Criswell and Richard Jerome Rand IV, as they've been charge with Measure 11 crimes. The other suspect was not identified, due to his age, and the crimes he's accused of were not made publicly available.
All three suspects appeared in court today. Two of the boys got emotional in court, while one showed little to no emotion.
That did not sit well with the victims family and there was an outburst as a man yelled at the suspect.
A judge ordered that all three teens remain locked up in juvenile detention. All three are due back in court next month.
The crime spree started when Criswell and Rand met up with the 14-year-old boy at his house, with the intention of committing a home invasion robbery, according to an affidavit filed by Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill.
All three wore masks. Rand had on a clown mask, and Criswell was armed with a shotgun when they tried to break into the home, but they were scared off when the homeowner yelled at them, the affidavit says.
While they were fleeing the house, they came across Malone, whose car was idling nearby as he picked up cans. The group demanded that he give them his car, police said. When Malone refused, Criswell allegedly shot him in the chest at close range.
In the hours after the shooting, police received several calls about a trail of hit-and-runs, before they found Malone's car crashed and abandoned in the 8500 block of North Hodge Avenue. His vehicle was badly damaged and there was blood covering the driver’s side, police said.
Officers searching the car found a fast food receipt and later determined the 14-year-old suspect had driven Malone's car through a drive-thru hours after Malone's death. The distinctive shirt the boy was wearing in the surveillance video was later discovered at his parents' house, police said.
Police also recovered several items that belonged to Malone at the boy’s home, the affidavit says.
Criswell and Rand are charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder with a firearm, first-degree robbery with a firearm, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle with a firearm, and first-degree burglary in the first degree with a firearm.
Investigators say Malone enjoyed collecting bottles and cans and would do so routinely, and that he had planned to meet a family member at a bottle and can redemption center later that morning.
"Ricky was just a quiet, good type of brother, children loved him, he worked with the youth, he was a basketball official, a referee and the kids loved him," his brother Robert Malone said.
"Ricky is going to be very very missed."