Five Redmond teens arrested in thefts from dozens of cars

Five teens ages 13 to 19 were caught and arrested in Redmond early Wednesday, accused of entering 30 to 50 mostly unlocked cars and stealing items from many of them, police said as they asked others in the area to check their cars and report anything missing.

Wednesday night, Sgt. Curtis Chambers issued the following update on what took place:

“At 12:18am, Redmond police received a call of a suspicious person standing on the front porch of a residence in the 2500 block of NW Cedar Ave. The caller reported the person was not associated with the address.

About 10 minutes later, officers received a report of vehicle alarms sounding in the area of SW 25th Street and West Antler Avenue, very close to the first call. In the second call, the reporting person’s son chased at least three juveniles out of the area. The juveniles were last seen going towards Fairhaven Park.

An RPD officer searching the park located juvenile male hiding between a fence and a travel trailer. He was taken into protective custody for a curfew violation. It was also determined the juvenile lied to the officer about his identity for purposes of a citation. The juvenile was arrested for the crime of False Information to a Police Officer and taken to Juvenile Detention for a probation violation.

At about 1:52 a.m., officers received a report of persons walking around and looking into vehicles in the 400 block of Northwest 17th Street.

Officers searched the area in vehicles and on foot. One officer observed a group of four juveniles looking into vehicles. One juvenile was observed opening a vehicle door and the others then converged on the same vehicle, stealing items from within.

The officer contacted the group just as they were leaving the vehicle and was able to detain two of the four. The other two fled on foot. While searching the detained juveniles, a firearm was found in a backpack, along with numerous other items consistent with theft from vehicles.

A Redmond police K9, “Breck,” and his human partner responded to the scene. While responding, the officer observed two juveniles walking in the area, matching the description of the two who fled. Those juveniles were stopped while the theft was investigated.

The juveniles remained with another officer while K9 “Breck” attempted to track the suspects that fled. K9 “Breck” was able to track the suspect’s path in a big circle, to the location the officer stopped the second two juveniles. The juveniles were arrested and a search revealed evidence linking them to the first two juveniles and thefts.

Additional stolen property was recovered in a tent in the 2000 block of NW Cedar Avenue. Property recovered indicates dozens of possible victims. It is believed the juveniles were in the area west and north of Redmond High School to NW Hemlock Ave, including the area of Remington Arms Mobile Home Park.

Arrested:
–14 year old male – Curfew violation, False Information to a Police Officer, Probation Violation – Lodged at Juvenile Detention
— 13 year old female – Curfew violation, Theft II, Unauthorized Entry into a Motor Vehicle (UEMV) x 29, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, MIP-Tobacco – Lodged at Juvenile Detention
— 13 year old male – Curfew violation, Theft I (of a firearm), Theft II, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, UEMV x 29, MIP-Tobacco, MIP-Alcohol – Lodged at Juvenile Detention
–17 year old male – Curfew violation, UEMV, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, MIP-Tobacco – Cited/Released to parent
–Ian Davies, 19 years of age, Redmond resident – UEMV, Theft I (of a firearm) – Lodged at DCSO Jail. (Released at 6:15 a.m. on his own recognizance, jail officials said.

As additional victims are identified through processing of property recovered or by calling the Redmond Police Department, additional charges for some or all are expected.

The Redmond Police Department are very thankful for the calls received during the morning hours of suspicious persons in your neighborhoods. Those calls led to the recovery of stolen property and arrests of those believed to be responsible. Policing is not solely the job of uniformed police officers, but is the responsibility of the entire community. Redmond police is here to serve those who live, work and visit the community of Redmond. Together we can make Redmond the safest community in Oregon.”

Redmond police said they believe as many as 30 to 50 vehicles were entered overnight and items stolen from some or all of them.

“We are in possession of property belonging to numerous people, to include a firearm, purses, cell phone chargers and money,” Chambers said in an earlier news release.

Sgt. Aaron Wells said, “Right now, we believe that most of the thefts, if not all the thefts, came from cars that were unlocked.”

Resident Marcus Conklin said, “I was just sitting in my car, hanging out, and then the car alarm went off over there.”

Conklin said he saw kids running away, and while his father called police, he chased after one of the teens, but he got away as they all split up.

Other residents said they heard the car alarms sounding and people running. Many awakened to look for whether anything was missing from their cars parked outside.

It’s an unnerving feeling for many residents.

“I mean, it’s a quiet neighborhood, so it’s kind of shocking to see two cars getting broken into back to back,” Conklin said.

Redmond police asked that people living in the area between Redmond High School and Northwest Hemlock Avenue report thefts from their vehicles, “no matter how small the item may be, because it is highly likely we have the property.”

You can contact police through Deschutes County dispatch at 541-693-6911.