Police: BMW hater vandalized car - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Police: BMW hater vandalized car Thursday Oct 27, 2016 at 2:55 PM Oct 27, 2016 at 6:04 PM Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous A man is facing charges after he allegedly said he hates BMWs and rich people, then vandalized a red BMW 428I car parked in Ashland. Alexander Jonathan Penna, 22, was charged with first- and second-degree criminal mischief in Jackson County Circuit Court. He failed to appear for his arraignment on the charges Thursday, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Oct. 7, the owner of the 2016 car parked his vehicle in front of the Stop n' Shop convenience store on Lithia Way in downtown Ashland, then left for about 20 minutes, according to Ashland police. The small market is frequented by transients, locals and tourists. An employee of the market was smoking outside when she heard a man known to her as Alex say he hates rich people and "beemer" cars, an affidavit said. The term "beemer" is commonly used slang for a BMW car or motorcycle. The employee stepped back inside and heard two loud banging noises coming from the area where the man had been. She turned and saw him walking away from the red BMW, which now had damage to the driver's side, the affidavit said. The owner of the BMW returned and saw damage to the driver's side front door. He estimated the cost to fix the damages would be over $1,000, the affidavit said. The employee of the store told police the man she knows as Alex was later given a citation by a police officer for drinking in public in front of the convenience store. Another officer who was investigating the car vandalism case heard about the citation and learned the man cited in that case was Alexander Jonathan Penna, the affidavit said. The second officer located Penna in the downtown Plaza area Oct. 8. Penna allegedly admitted to kicking the car and said he felt like it was a "class" thing, the affidavit said. The starting price for a 2016 BMW 428I without upgrades is $41,850, according to the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Penna was taken to the Jackson County Jail and later released on his own recognizance. Although Penna has a Nevada address in court documents, he appears to have been in Oregon for some time. His past convictions include offensive littering in Multnomah County in 2013, according to court records. Offensive littering can mean littering trash, but also sometimes refers to urinating in public. — Reach staff reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.