Grandson, 17, arrested for death of Milwaukie woman

By KATU.com Staff Published: Dec 10, 2012 at 3:54 PM PDT Last Updated: Dec 11, 2012 at 12:21 PM PDT

MILWAUKIE, Ore. - Police investigating a suspicious death in Milwaukie have arrested the victim's 17-year-old grandson on murder charges.

Officers were called at about noon Monday to conduct a welfare check at a residence in the 2800 block of Southeast Monroe Street. When they arrived, they found a woman in her 60s dead in the home.

She was identified Tuesday as 63-year-old Donna Irene Tennant. Police identified the suspect, her grandson, as Andrew Taylor Johnson.

"Information obtained through the criminal investigation resulted in a late-night arrest of the grandson, who was located near Jantzen Beach in North Portland,"  the Milwaukie Police Department said early Tuesday morning.

Police also said Johnson lived with Tennant. He turned 17 on Nov. 25.

Johnson has been charged with aggravated murder, police said. They did not release any information about how Tennant was killed or a possible motive.

People who live in the area said they knew Tennant. They said she was sweet and pleasant and called the investigation unnerving.

Neighbor Patrick Jones said Tennant was "very pleasant, very kind, and a good neighbor."

Monroe Street between 28th and 29th avenues was temporarily closed as part of the investigation.

The Clackamas County Medical Examiner's Office and the Clackamas County Major Crimes Team are assisting in the investigation.