Three arrested in string of Redmond thefts
Three Lane County residents were arrested in Redmond Saturday on outstanding warrants and, for two of them, a variety of new charges involving thefts from two stores and a construction business, police said Sunday.
About $1,700 worth of merchandise was stolen from the Redmond Walmart around 5:45 a.m. Saturday, said Sgt, Jesse Petersen. The suspects were identified as Derik Ray Hendrickson, 27, and Robert Moore, 25, he said.
Shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, Hendrickson was contacted by police in the Redmond Fred Meyer parking lot, accused of stealing $48 worth of items from that store, Petersen said.
A resulting investigation led to the recovery of stolen property from Walmart, Fred Meyer and Yozamp Construction, Petersen said.
Officers gathered information that also tied Hendrickson and Moore to a stolen motorcycle that Redmond police recovered last Tuesday, he added.
A search of a Redmond motel room rented by the men also turned up a firearm and drug paraphernalia, Petersen said.
Along with an out-of-county warrant, Hendrickson was held at the Deschutes County Jail in Bend on nearly $90,000 bail. He faces two counts each of first- and third-degree theft and second-degree criminal mischief, along with methamphetamine possession, car theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and felon in possession of a firearm.
Moore was held on $90,000 bail, jailed on initial charges including three counts of first-degree theft, one count of second-degree theft, car theft, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, meth possession, felon in possession of a firearm and a Lane County warrant.
Leah Rebekah Veach, 36, was arrested on outstanding warrants out of Lane and Douglas counties, jail records showed. She was held without bail on the Lane County warrant.
Computer gear was stolen from the construction business, said police Lt. Mike Kidwell, who added that police recovered “a pickup load” of stolen items.
Kidwell said more charges are likely in regards to the listed thefts and that police also were investigating the suspects’ connections to any other recent burglaries in the area.
The lieutenant said it also was a prime example of officers going “beyond the (initial) stop” and thus tying the suspects to the string of crimes.
Petersen said in a news release that Redmond police wanted to express their gratitude to the Walmart and Fred Meyer loss prevention divisions, whose “assistance allowed this incident to be brought to a successful conclusion.”
Police also wanted to remind people to lock and secure their valuables. It’s important to maintain a record of serial numbers for valuables, Petersen said. If they are stolen, that will help police locate and recover the items.
Any witnesses or people win information relating to the crimes was urged to contact Redmond police through county dispatchers at (541) 693-6911.
