Pair arrested in Redmond quarry metal theft
Two men who allegedly broke into a Redmond rock quarry to steal metal were caught in the act and arrested late Wednesday night, but it took a police dog’s bite to get a hiding suspect into custody, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.
A deputy on routine patrol shortly after 11 p.m. spotted damaged fencing around the quarry at 1655 NW Pershall Way, said Sgt. Troy Gotchy.
The deputy investigated further and found the gate had been used, and the lock securing it had been cut, Gotchy said.
The deputy drove into the pit and found a parked 1989 Chevy pickup with an attached utility trailer. He also saw two men in the area and called for cover units to respond to the scene.
Gotchy said the deputy kept in contact with one of the men until other deputies and Redmond police arrived.
That man, later identified as Andrew Marshall Couture, 46, of Redmond, eventually complied with the deputy’s commands and was arrested without incident, Gotchy said.
Soon, Deputy Doug Jackson and his K-9 partner Duco arrived to help search for the second suspect, believed to be hiding near several buckets used on heavy equipment.
The second man, later identified as Robert Charles Dellett, 42, of Bend, was given several verbal warnings to surrender before the deputy and dog began their search.
Duco indeed found Dellett hiding in one of the Buckets, and was taken into custody – with the bite of Duco proven to be necessary, Gotchy said. Dellett was treated at the scene by Redmond fire medics for minor injuries from the dog bite.
The two men were taken to the Deschutes County Jail in Bend and several large pieces of metal were found in the back of the truck. Gotchy said the quarry owner identified them as property of the business.
Couture remained held at the jail Thursday on $12,500 bail, facing charges of first-degree theft and second-degree criminal trespass. Dellett was held without bail on a probation violation charge, as well as criminal driving with a suspended or revoked license.
