NORTH BEND — The man who painted Twede’s Café without
permission earlier this month was arrested Sept. 25 for trying it again.
Jody Campbell, who told the Valley Record he worked on painting
the café’s exterior on several occasions from Sept. 8 through 12, could
be charged with malicious mischief later this month for his refusal to leave
the café— and the town’s other
buildings — alone.
Campbell had covered most of the restaurant and its famous Twin
Peaks mural with white, gray and tan paint, and had left a blue door that
was painted with the words “New Lincoln” leaning against the café’s entrance.
On the Sept. 25, a Valley resident spotted Campbell on a Metro bus
with a can of paint and other supplies. The man was supposed to get off
at Snoqualmie, but had heard about the painting incident and
followed Campbell to North Bend.
Sure enough, Campbell was headed to Twedes to continue
his project.
Police were notified and when they found Campbell about 2:30 p.m.,
he was “on his coffee break” at the
nearby Texaco station.
According to police reports, Campbell said someone had
commissioned him in the middle of the night to paint the buildings of North Bend.
Police said they explained to Campbell that he was not allowed,
or authorized, to paint the building. Campbell reportedly said he’d
paint the Snoqualmie Valley Antiques shop instead.
“We tried to talk him out of painting the buildings, but he was
bound and determined, so we had no other choice (but to arrest him),” said
C.J. Devore, King County police officer. “We just couldn’t let him paint the
city of North Bend.”
Devore said Campbell did not resist arrest but continued to insist it
was his right to paint North Bend buildings.
Campbell was booked into the King County jail in Seattle later
that day. He was released Sept. 26 and is under investigation of malicious
mischief. No formal charges have yet been filed.
