Bend police find, arrest three suspects in motel parking lot car theft

Car had been left unlocked running before motel worker ended their shift

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend man and two Redmond residents have been arrested on car theft and other charges after a motel employee’s car was stolen while left unlocked and warming up before the end of the worker’s shift, police said Wednesday.

Police were called just before midnight on Sunday, Feb. 14 by a worker at the Sugarloaf Mountain Motel on North Highway 97 reporting the theft of the Mitsubishi Gallant, Lt. Juli McConkey said. Another employee arriving for work saw the car leaving the parking lot, followed by an Infiniti SUV, Officers reviewed the motel’s security video.

Two days later, police were called to a dispute at the motel. The alleged car theft victim saw the Infinity SUV in the parking lot and confronted the occupants, who denied stealing the car.

But the motel worker was able to take several photos of the SUV’s occupants. Police reviewed the photos and recognized one person as a 32-year-old Bend man.

An officer contacted the man’s probation officer, who said he was on GPS monitoring, McConkey said, and that confirmed he had been at the motel when the car was stolen. They also were able to track his GPS locations and determined a spot where he allegedly got rid of some items from the car, including the license plates and a baby stroller.

Last Friday evening, the man’s probation officer informed police of his whereabouts, based on the GPS. He was arrested without incident at another Bend motel and taken to the Deschutes County Jail on charges including a felony probation/parole violation.

Police investigators also identified two other people who assisted in the car theft, a 34-year-old man and 40-year-old woman, both from Redmond, McConkey said. They also learned the stolen car was at an address on Faugarwee Circle in Deschutes River Woods.

Later that night, officers were able to contact someone at the home at the end of Faugarwee Circle, who “did not deny” the stolen car was at the home, the lieutenant said. A short time later, the Redmond woman drove it out to Bend police and was taken into custody without incident and taken to jail.

The Redmond man’s location was unknown at the time, but officers on routine patrol Tuesday evening contacted him at a traffic stop, McConkey said. He was found in possession of methamphetamine and was arrested on several charges, also taken to jail.

“If you see something that looks suspicious, it probably is,” McConkey said in a news release. “Call our non-emergency dispatch number at 541-693-6911 to report any possible criminal behavior. Always call 911 for emergencies.”

“Provide the best description of the suspect to the dispatcher and include their last known location, and an officer will respond to investigate,” she added. “We appreciate the investment our community has in helping Bend police reduce vehicle thefts in our city.”