17 hours ago
Portland boba shop vandalism suspect arrested, accused of throwing unlit Molotov cocktails at residence
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A man accused of vandalizing and threatening workers at a North Portland boba shop has been arrested after the .
Kristian T. Clarida, 37, was arrested Tuesday on charges of criminal mischief, coercion, manufacturing of a destructive device, possession of a destructive device, assault, and violation of a restraining order, according to Portland police.
was located on 5329 N Interstate Ave. The owner, Ha Phan, told KOIN 6 the shop had to close last week due to repeated vandalism. She said she would only feel safe re-opening the shop if the suspect was arrested and unable to return.
NE Portland armed carjacking search ends with no arrests after suspects flee
According to Phan, Clarida was initially believed to be a supportive customer.
Phan said the man had become a regular patron about two months ago, shortly after the business celebrated its third anniversary. She said he would ask for black tea several times in one day.
She also claims Clarida began sharing a lot of information about his personal life and leaving generous tips for workers. She noted that he sometimes came off as aggressive and mentioned owning a gun, but there was a communication barrier due to English being her second language.
More recently, Clarida started to order drinks and ask to pay for them later, according to Phan.
'And I go, 'That's okay. You don't have to,' because he left a huge tip,' Phan said. 'I just want to repay his kindness.'
It wasn't until last week that the man came in threatening to 'f*ck' employees up if they didn't return his belongings within 24 hours, Phan told KOIN 6. She said the man also told workers not to 'act dumb' and accused them of treating him as if he were 'dumb.'
But there was no sign of Clarida at the boba shop 24 hours later, according to Phan.
The following day, June 14, is when surveillance footage shows a man shattering a window with what appears to be a knife sharpener. The window was vandalized again on Thursday, footage shows.
According to Portland police, Clarida had used a knife-sharpening stone and a rock to damage the glass windows and doors of the business. Detectives also said he had broken the windows of a Southeast Portland residence and thrown unlit Molotov cocktails inside.
'I'm pretty confident in saying that I didn't do anything wrong to him, because the last time that he talked to us…I waved at him with a big smile,' Phan said. 'Out of nowhere, he throws us a situation like that.'
Amtrak Cascades, 'one of the most scenic train rides,' unveils new look for 2026
The damage and threats led Phan to close Auntea Ha in fear of more damage or harm. She told reporters she 'cannot afford to keep the shop closed, but if we don't close, he may shoot us.'
KOIN 6 News has reached out to Phan to see if she plans to re-open the shop, but we have yet to hear back.
Anyone with more information about Clarida or damage near the business is encouraged to contact the Portland Police Department.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
