It’s not hard to guess why the school district superintendent says this guy has taught his last math class at Parkrose High …
After allegedly robbing a clerk at the Plaid Pantry store at gunpoint, the suspect disappeared into the neighborhood.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The armed robbery of a Plaid Pantry store in the Kearns neighborhood at 2730 NE Glisan Street over the Memorial Day weekend had a surprising connection to a Parkrose High School math teacher.
At 12:38 a.m. on May 31, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Central Precinct officers responded to the report of an armed robbery at the convenience store.
“The employee told police that the suspect approached the counter, armed with a handgun, and demanded money,” said PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson.
With a wad of cash in hand, the suspect left the store without incident, Simpson said. “The employee told police that he believed the man was a regular customer in the store. Officers searching the area did not locate anyone matching his description,” Simpson said.
Later on Sunday, at 5:44 p.m., another employee, who looked at surveillance images, called 9-1-1 to report that the suspect was walking near the store, wearing the same clothing that he wore during the robbery.
“Police arrived in the area and located the suspect at NE 31st Avenue and Glisan Street, where he was taken into custody without incident,” Simpson said. “Officers seized a replica firearm from his residence during this investigation.”
The suspect, 31-year-old Ian William Mandis, was booked in the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on a count of Robbery in the Second Degree, a Class B Felony, at 8:49 p.m. that evening.
The man accused of this armed robbery was a math teacher here, at Parkrose High School.
On May 31, before Mandis appeared before a judge, Parkrose School District Superintendent Dr. Karen F Gray released a statement saying that he was “hired as a temporary math teacher at Parkrose HS in January 2016, but was removed from classroom duties for reasons the District cannot discuss, and was assigned other duties to close out the school year.
“Needless to say, Mr. Mandis will not be returning to Parkrose Schools,” Gray added.
Police accuse this man, 31-year-old Ian William Mandis, of armed robbery.
Appearing in Multnomah County Court on May 31, according to a probable cause affidavit, in a letter to the store’s clerk had Mandis apologized for the armed robbery, writing that he was sorry for “…making you feel scared for your life.”
After his arraignment, Mandis will now face two charges of Armed Robbery in the Second Degree, and is currently lodged in MCDC in lieu of $500,000 bail.
© 2016 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News