A 46-year-old man upset with homeless people living in his Southeast Portland neighborhood was sentenced Monday to two years of probation for tossing a homemade bomb under a homeless woman's dilapidated RV.

The RV was parked less than a block away from Jeremy Patrick Kidwell's house near Southeast 160th Avenue and Division Street. He was upset that his two young children had to regularly walk past it as well as piles of garbage and excrement left by homeless campers in the enclave, said defense attorney Krista Shipsey.

"Mr. Kidwell made a very poor choice, however, in his frustration in seeing this every day and hearing from his family (about) their frustration," Shipsey told Multnomah County Circuit Judge Adrienne Nelson.

Kidwell pleaded guilty to unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, which is normally a felony under state law but is being downgraded to a misdemeanor in his case. Kidwell also pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree arson. But if he stays out of trouble for the next two years, the charge will be dismissed.

The plea agreement doesn't call for jail time, but Kidwell spent a night in jail after his arrest on Aug. 24, 2016, which also was his 46th birthday.

Kidwell, a construction worker and married dad, had no criminal history. Investigators say he threw a 4- or 5-inch PVC pipe packed with black, explosive powder under the RV. Kidwell had tried to light the fuse of the device before throwing it under the RV, but the device never exploded, investigators say.

No one was hurt, and the RV wasn't damaged.

Shipsey told the judge the RV was generating frustration from others in the neighborhood, not just Kidwell. She said nearby business owners had called Portland police many times about the RV, including partying associated with it or nearby.

Shipsey noted that although it's not entirely clear how much damage the homemade device could have caused, it could have been severe had it exploded near the RV's gas tank or had someone stepped outside the RV just as the device exploded.

At least one person, RV owner Korey Hoekstra, was inside the RV when Kidwell threw the device at 4:58 a.m., investigators say.

According to a probable cause affidavit written by prosecutor Glen Banfield, as Kidwell walked away a man who was either in the RV or outside near it, ran after Kidwell and confronted him.

Shipsey said Kidwell "apologized profusely" and asked what he could do for Hoekstra, her husband and another man who was there. They asked Kidwell to buy some beer and groceries, and he agreed, Shipsey said. He was arrested later that day.

Shipsey said her client was cooperative with police. Police searched his home and found "one pipe bomb along with (a) hobby fuse," according to the affidavit. Police also found "various ammunition powders" and "literature on munition and booby-traps," the affidavit said.

Hoekstra signed papers agreeing to have the case civilly compromised outside of criminal court, and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office had agreed, Shipsey said. But the deal couldn't go through because of a technicality: Civil compromises aren't allowed in cases that don't have an official victim, such as this one, Shipsey said.

Kidwell has taken steps to make amends with Hoekstra, Shipsey said, adding that her client bought Hoekstra a used RV in much better condition than her old one. He had it cleaned, replaced a battery and paid for the title to be transferred to Hoekstra's name.

Hoekstra is now living in the RV but hasn't been able to get it registered because she doesn't have insurance, Shipsey said. Hoekstra moves the RV around from time to time but doesn't park it near Kidwell's house anymore, Shipsey said.

Kidwell tried to get Hoekstra into a homeless shelter so she ultimately could find stable housing, but Hoekstra didn't want to go because she couldn't bring her dog, Shipsey said.

Kidwell declined to make a statement during Monday's hearing. Hoekstra didn't attend the hearing.

-- Aimee Green