Idaho fugitive caught in Bend Safeway parking lot

Bend police staked out, surrounded and arrested an Idaho man wanted on aggravated assault and strangulation charges in the parking lot of a northeast Bend Safeway store Monday morning after learning from federal marshals the violent, likely armed fugitive was in the area, officers said.

Bend police were contacted by U.S. marshals around 6:30 a.m. regarding the fugitive, identified as Dedigamage N.R. Perera, 36, said Sgt. Devin Lewis. They told Bend police the wanted fugitive out of Ada County, Idaho was believed to be in the Bend area.

About two hours later, Perera’s gold 2006 Mitsubishi SUV was found in the parking lot of the Safeway at 642 NE Third Street, Lewis said.

Based on the marshals’ information that Perera was a violent offender and armed with a handgun, surveillance began and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team responded to the scene with an armored vehicle.

Around 9:20 a.m., officers contacted Perera and he was taken into custody without incident, Lewis said, adding that a handgun was found in his car.

Perera was taken to the Deschutes County Jail and held without bail on the fugitive charge and $500,000 bail on the out-of-county warrant.