Bend citizen tips lead to arrest, recovery of stolen pickup

Citizens who reported a suspicious red pickup driving on Bend’s Larkspur Trail Monday evening led to a traffic stop, arrest of the driver and recovery of the truck, reported stolen over two weeks ago from a parking lot, police said.

A Bend resident reported the evening of June 13 that his Toyota pickup had been stolen while parked at Hertz Car Care on Northeast Highway 20, said Sgt. Eric Hagan. The keys had been left in the truck, which was unlocked, Hagan said.

Around 6:20 p.m. Monday, several people called dispatchers about a suspicious red Toyota pickup driving on the Larkspur Trail. Dispatchers confirmed the license plate matched the reported stolen pickup, Hagan said.

A bend officer spotted the vehicle, driven by Kirk James Harris, 33, of Bend, and several officers conducted a traffic stop on Wilson Avenue at Ninth Street, Hagan said. A witness said guns were drawn in what police term a “high-risk” stop.

Harris was taken into custody without incident and brought to the Deschutes County Jail, where he was lodged on unauthorized use of a vehicle charges. A jail officer said he was later released to a responsible third party,.

The undamaged pickup was returned to its owner.

Hagan said Bend police wanted to thank the people who called in the suspicious vehicle, leading to Harris’s arrest. They also wanted to remind citizens to lock their cars when they are parked.