Witness talks of Bend bike theft suspect’s Mirror Pond dip

(Update: Comments, video from witness, victim whose bike was recovered, police)

An anonymous tip led to two suspects in the theft of two high-end bikes, attending Thursday night’s Munch and Music concert in Drake Park – and an unexpected sight for the audience, as one jumped into Mirror Pond and tried to swim away, eventually returning to shore and being arrested, police said.

“It was interesting to see this go on during the concert,” witness Sonya Stephens said Friday. “I don’t know which one was more entertaining at the time.”.

A St. Charles Bend security camera had captured an image last Friday around 3:50 p.m. of two suspects who stole the two high-end bikes that were locked up at the hospital, said police Corporal Matt Baldwin.

NewsChannel 21 talked Friday with Joe Jeffs, one of the victims.

” I got outside, I had my helmet in my hand — and my bike wasn’t there. I was just so shocked. I was gutted,” Jeffs said.

Bend police solicited the public’s help in identifying the pair of suspects, later identified as Thomas Dunaway, 35, and Carrie Odonell, 44, both of Bend, Baldwin said.

Around 7:45 p.m. Thursday, police got an anonymous tip that the pair were attending the Munch and Music concert in Drake Park.

Officers assigned to downtown foot patrol tried to contact the pair, and Odonell was detained, but Dunaway ran and, in an attempt to evade capture, jumped into Mirror Pond, Baldwin said.

“We don’t do a lot of water arrests in Bend,” said Bend police Sgt. Tom Pine. “Thank goodness, but yeah, kind of unique in that sense.”

Numerous police officers responded to the scene while Dunaway went for a swim. As a precaution, a Bend Fire Department water rescue team was placed on standby.

But after about 25 minutes in the water, he swam to shore and was taken into custody, Baldwin said.

“You could tell he was losing some of his ‘umph,'” Stephens said, “because he was doing the backstroke, then doing the front stroke, then he came over here to where he could stand a little bit.”

Both Dunaway and Odonell were arrested on the bike theft charges and on outstanding California arrest warrants.

Dunaway was booked into the Deschutes County Jail on two counts each of second-degree theft and criminal mischief, as well as single counts of third-degree escape and resisting arrest.

Odonell, also facing the theft and criminal mischief charges, remained in custody while being treated at St. Charles Bend for an unrelated issue, Baldwin said.

Both bikes were returned to their owners, giving Jeffs a nice surprise.

“Normally bikes never come back. Once they’re stole, they’re gone,” he said. “If they can catch them, that’s good, but I was just lucky in this case, I got my bike back as well.”

Bend police and Jeffs also thanked community members for tips and information received through social media. Baldwin reminded bike owners to record their serial numbers and other information, urging use of such Websites as bikeindex.org.