Eugene Man Charged After Dog Waste Argument Turns Physical
EUGENE, Ore. — Mark D. Baker, 63, a member of the prominent Baker family that owned The Register-Guard newspaper for 91 years, was arrested* October 09, 2025**, following a confrontation over dog waste that allegedly escalated into assault and property damage. Police say the incident occurred while Baker was walking his dog near Churchill Estates at 1919 Bailey Hill Road . When two residents confronted him about failing to pick up after the animal defecated on the lawn of Churchill Estates, Baker allegedly became physical: punching one person and damaging property. Baker, whose family shaped Eugene’s media and civic landscape for nearly a century, was booked on three municipal charges: Assault, Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, and Harassment (offensive physical contact). The Baker family’s legacy in Eugene dates to 1927, when Alton F. Baker Sr. purchased the Eugene Guard. In 1930 he merged it with the Eugene Register to form The Register-Guard, which the family owned and operate...