Redmond fugitive eludes 8 1/2-hour SWAT callout

A police officer spotted and arrested a female fugitive in the front yard of a northwest Redmond-area home late Saturday afternoon. That led to an 8 -hour police tactical operation for a wanted man believed to be inside the home – but who, as it turned out, was not there, officers said.

Around 4:45 p.m., the officer observed Sabrina Hammon, 37, standing in the yard of a home as 3233 Northwest Way, just outside the city limits, said Sgt. Curtis Chambers.

The officer contacted the woman, confirmed the warrant and took her into custody without incident. She was taken to the Deschutes County Jail, where she was held without bail Sunday for probation violation.

Contact with Hammon led the officer to believe another resident, Matthew Romine, 39 was “more likely than not” inside the home, Chambers said in a news release Sunday.

Romine has several warrants for his arrest, issued last November, on burglary and firearm theft charges.

Romine was arrested in March of 2014, a couple of weeks after police said he stole more than $1,000 worth of items, mostly copper wire, from the Redmond Home Depot, then punched an employee in the face when contacted outside the store.

Officers said a raid on his Northwest Way home turned up some of the stolen items — as well as Romine, who they said was found hiding in a bedroom and arrested.

Late Saturday, police applied for and were granted a search warrant for the home and property.

The Central Oregon CERT Team was called in for help, due to the crimes Romine was allegedly to have committed “and the perceived threat to law enforcement as a result,” Chambers said in a news release.

The CERT Team tried to contact Romine several different ways before CERT members entered the home. The home was searched, with the help of Redmond police K-9 “Arco,” but he was not found.

Unconfirmed police scanner reports during the standoff also indicated the deployment of at least one robotic device and preparations to use tear gas or pepper spray, if needed.

The house was cleared and incident concluded around 1:30 a.m., Chambers said, adding that “Romine remains at large, his exact whereabouts unknown.”

Police asked anyone who may know Romine’s whereabouts to call police dispatch at (541) 693-6911. Information can be provided anonymously, Chambers said.

You can also contact the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-877-876-TIPS, or use the form on KTVZ.COM’s Crime Stoppers page. You can remain anonymous, and you could be eligible for a cash reward.

Although Romine was not found inside the home, Chambers said police and the CERT Team “still consider this incident to be a success, because no persons were injured.”

“Additionally, this incident reinforces to the public how committed we all are in holding those who do harm in our community responsible for their actions and to make Redmond the safest community in Oregon,” he concluded.