OLD ORCHARD BEACH — A man police describe as a friend of Roger White was arrested Tuesday afternoon, charged with White’s murder.

Michael Swenson, 44, was taken into custody at his mother’s house in Scarborough Tuesday without incident, charged with murder and taken to York County Jail, according to a statement from Maine Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland. As of press time, Swenson was still in jail.

According to McCausland, Swenson was a friend of White and met up with him Friday night at The Whaler, a bar on Staples Street.

White’s body was discovered by a nearby resident outside at about 9 a.m. Saturday, in an area between Old Orchard Street and Staples Street ”“ not far from The Whaler. An autopsy showed that White died of stab wounds to the neck and chest, according to McCausland. 

White, 49, had lived at Crosswinds Motel and Cottages on East Grand Avenue since September, said owner Eunice Marquis.

“He was always respectful, quiet, extremely nice, and I understand from my other tenants, he was very good about helping others,” she said.

Tuesday a memorial to White could be seen in an empty lot at Old Orchard Street. Bouquets of flowers had been laid on a discarded mattress in the area where White was found.

A page for White was created on www.forevermissed.com, a memorial website where people can pay tribute to deceased loved ones. Posts on the site from friends describe White as having a good sense of humor, and a person with whom they shared a lot of laughs.

A bartender at The Whaler declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.

Swenson lives in a lean-to along railroad tracks in Old Orchard Beach and has worked in construction for several years, according to McCausland. He is scheduled to make his first appearance at York County Superior Court today or Thursday.

— Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535 Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com. Tammy Wells contributed to this story.