Editor's Note: This article has been updated to more accurately reflect the scope of the thefts at TriMet platforms.
A string of missing brass plates along North Interstate Avenue MAX platforms has landed a 48-year-old Beaverton man in jail, after investigators said the stolen hardware left gaps over exposed wiring and other equipment. Each of the heavy brass covers is reportedly worth more than $1,000, and officials say removing them does more than mess with the aesthetics: it creates tripping hazards and risks damage to sensitive electrical gear. During a court-authorized search, deputies say they recovered at least one of the plates and booked the suspect on multiple felony counts following his March 25 arrest.
According to KATU, TriMet first alerted the Transit Police Division after multiple heavy plates were unscrewed and removed from MAX platforms between March 17 and March 19, 2026. Investigators pulled public-safety camera footage from the stations and started tracking a suspect. A Port of Portland officer assigned to the Transit Police unit ultimately identified the man as 48-year-old Benjamin Mark Honl, and Transit Police arrested him in the 12700-block of Southwest Sixth Avenue in Beaverton on March 25. Court records state that a subsequent search turned up a brass plate hidden under a car seat cushion, clothing that appeared to match surveillance images and a wheelchair investigators say was used to haul the weighty metal away.
Transit Police And Multiagency Response
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office leads TriMet's multi-agency Transit Police Division, which functions as a task force that pulls in officers from partner jurisdictions to patrol platforms and investigate crimes on the system. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office says those coordinated missions are designed to spot patterns and move quickly across city and county lines, a helpful feature when a suspect's trail runs from North Portland to Beaverton. TriMet points to its own safety and security teams working alongside Transit Police to inspect damage, safeguard exposed equipment and repair affected platforms. Officials say that shared structure helped investigators move fast once TriMet reported the missing covers.
Charges And Recovered Evidence
Deputies booked Honl into the Multnomah County Detention Center on two counts of first-degree theft, one count of attempted first-degree theft and one count of first-degree criminal mischief, as reported by KATU. Court documents and investigators say the seized evidence includes at least one of the brass plates, clothing that lines up with what appears in surveillance footage and a wheelchair that was allegedly pressed into service as an impromptu cargo cart for the heavy metal. Authorities say the alleged thefts did not just create gaps on platforms. They also caused property damage and operational risks that could trigger electrical outages if key pieces of transit equipment are hit. All charges remain allegations, and Honl is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Why Thieves Target Metal
Brass and copper have both seen modest price bumps in recent weeks, and investigators say that can be enough to nudge opportunistic thieves toward anything that is bolted down but made of metal. A North American market report by ScrapMonster logged small upticks in copper and brass prices in March 2026, a shift officials say can fuel schemes that target fixtures like platform plates. Transit agencies note that the scrap value is only part of the story, since the cost of repairs, inspections and outages multiplies the damage from every piece stolen.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and TriMet say the investigation is still active and that more information will be released as the probe moves forward and repairs are wrapped up. In the meantime, TriMet is urging riders to watch their step around any affected platforms while crews secure exposed areas and install replacement covers.
