Oregon man arrested in slaying of mother

SANDY, Ore. – An Oregon man was arrested Saturday in the death of his 66-year-old mother, who was shot Christmas Day with a high-powered rifle at her home, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies surprised 41-year-old Michael Bighaus as he returned to the home in Sandy, and he surrendered, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies haven’t offered a motive for the shooting of Vivian Bighaus, a nurse practitioner. Her husband, Phillip Bighaus, 67, was a witness and called 911, deputies said.

Michael Bighaus was described as a transient who sometimes camped in the Sandy area, and a family member reported he suffered from a mental disorder but was not taking his prescribed medication, said Detective Jim Strovink, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

The Oregonian newspaper reported that Bighaus was convicted of forgery in 2006 and was sentenced in November to two years of probation on a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants. Strovink said a warrant was out for his arrest for “absconding,” failing to meet requirements related to the November conviction.