La Pine man arrested, accused of breaking into one SE Bend home, looking in windows of another
(Update: Adding video, police comments)
26-year-old also accused of threatening residents, touching one without consent
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A wanted La Pine man faces several charges of breaking into a home in southeast Bend. 26-year-old Dakota Willis has been arrested on burglary, menacing, criminal trespass and other charges. Police say a woman living in the home was the first to see him, then other residents confronted him, and chased him before he got away.
Police asked residents in both areas to check surveillance cameras for footage the past couple of nights to see if Willis is associated with other crimes.
Police responded around 1:25 a.m. Tuesday to the reported residential burglary in the 21000 block of Ritz Place, Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.
"We had multiple 9-1-1 calls -- the first one said people were running, screaming down the street the street and then a resident called to report that someone had entered the home," Miller said.
Residents of the home said the suspect entered through a back door and had been in the home for an unknown period of time. One resident said he’d entered her bedroom, threatened her and her roommates and touched her without her consent.
Residents of the home chased Willis and got into an altercation before the suspect got away, possibly in a vehicle, Miller said. He was described as a white male in his mid-20s, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, wearing a blue hoodie and a backpack.
"It sounds like this woman did everything right," Miller added. "She was able to get away from this person and screamed. She made it difficult for this guy."
"The larger issues of course is somebody feeling comfortable to come into your home and try to assault you."
On Wednesday, shortly before 3 a.m., a resident of a home in the 1600 block of SE Virginia Road called police to report an unknown man was in his backyard, looking through his windows, Miller said. He was not home at the home and was watching the man on his surveillance camera.
Police located the suspect and took him into custody. Miller said officers determined the same man was responsible for the Ritz Place home break-in, and Willis also had an in-state felony warrant for his arrest.
Willis was lodged in the Deschutes County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary, harassment, menacing, third-degree sex abuse, second-degree trespass and the felony warrant. He's due for arraignment Thursday on initial charges that include first-degree burglary, harassment and menacing.
Anyone with information such as video footage from the past two nights is asked call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 and reference the case numbers, 2023-00000375 and 2023-0000593.
Police said there were nearly a 100 residential burglaries in Bend last year -- that's up from the 81 reported in 2021, but lower than then 119 reported in 2020.
Just over three years ago, in December 2019, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reported a La Pine family's barking dog alerted them to a burglar identified as Willis in their child's room. They chased him out of the house and he was caught trying to hide in a nearby garage.
Online court records show Willis pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and first-degree criminal trespass. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 18 months probation. The jail term later was extended for violating his probation, which was revoked.
