NE Bend drive-thru carjacking ends in crash, arrest

A shirtless man who demanded a ride from a customer at a northeast Bend coffee stand drive-thru Saturday night soon jumped in the passenger seat, threatened to kill the driver and pressed on the gas pedal with his hand, prompting the driver to jump out of his pickup truck, police said.

The carjacker soon crashed into a nearby parked car and was arrested at the scene, officers said.

A police officer saw suspicious activity around 8:30 p.m. in the area of the Dutch Bros. at 1143 Northeast Third Street, said Sgt. Mike Landolt.

A man later identified as Aaron Hodges, 40, of Silverton, was not wearing a shirt and was yelling at a customer in the drive-thru, Landolt said.

The customer, Philip Atkinson, 18, of Bend, was on the east side of the coffee stand, his pickup truck facing north in the drive-thru, when Hodges approached his passenger-side window and demanded a ride, the sergeant said. Atkinson declined and told Hodges to leave, but he refused.

Hodges jumped in the passenger seat and ordered Atkinson to drive. Atkins told Hodges to get out, but Hodges threatened to kill Atkinson if he didn’t drive, the officer said.

Hodges then reached over and pressed on the gas pedal with his hand, while Atkinson tried to stop the pickup by pressing the brake, Landolt said.

The teen, concerned for his safety, jumped out of the pickup and Hodges took control of it. Landolt said it went forward across Lafayette Avenue and crashed into a parked car on the north side of Lafayette, causing damage to both vehicles.

Police took Hodges into custody and he was taken to the Deschutes County Jail, charged with third-degree robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, two counts of first-degree criminal mischief and menacing. He was released on his own recognizance around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, a jail officer said.

However, Hodges was arrested again Sunday afternoon by Bend police and again booked into jail on charges of attempted unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and attempted unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. His bail totaled $7,500.

During the investigation, a man with Hodges was contacted at the scene, Landolt said. Christopher Whitten, 29, of Salem, was found to have an outstanding arrest warrant out of Marion County, for alleged menacing and stalking. He also was taken to the county jail in Bend and remained held without bail Sunday.