Police search for man accused of killing his mother on Christmas

UPDATE: Police say they have "peacefully" arrested this man as of Saturday. Full story to come.

SANDY, Ore. - Police searched for a man with a rifle Friday night who they said shot and killed his 66-year-old mother at a house 10 miles east of Sandy.

Police allege 41-year-old Michael Scott Bighaus shot his mother, Vivian, with a high-caliber rifle at a home on E. Fernwood Circle and then fled on foot armed with the weapon, according to Clackamas County Sheriff’s spokesman Detective Jim Strovink.

Strovink described Bighaus as "armed and dangerous."

The county SWAT team was deployed in the search for Bighaus and was assisted by state police.   

Police said Bighaus is an off-and-on transient and is a paranoid schizophrenic who recently quit taking his medication.

He is described as being 6 feet tall and weighing 160 pounds with short brown hair. He has hazel eyes and a small beard.

Police said he was last seen wearing a baseball cap, a red sweater with a large star on it, and blue jeans.

According to police, Bighaus has a long history with the law. He has been arrested for burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, forgery, and DUII.

Police said they have not yet determined a motive for the shooting.

Police closed down both directions of Highway 26 between Kirkwood and Sleepy Hollow Drive from about 3 p.m. Friday to after 10 p.m. while they searched for Bighaus and secured the neighborhood.

The closure snarled traffic for miles, but Strovink said it was necessary to ensure the safety of motorists and to allow police to thoroughly search the area.