Two Bend teens arrested in JUUL e-cigarettes burglary
Security video helped police find and arrest two teens accused of breaking into a northeast Bend convenience store late Friday night and stealing thousands of dollars worth of JUUL-brand e-cigarettes and other tobacco-related products, officers said.
Police responded around 11:30 p.. Friday to the reported burglary at U.S. Market, at Butler Market Road and 27th Street, Lt. Brian Beekman said in a news release late Wednesday.
Surveillance video showed the two male suspects who broke a window entered and stole merchandise, fleeing before police arrived. Manager Danny Johal told NewsChannel 21 the break-in happened moments after the store closed for the night.
While police pursued leads, a citizen who was shown the video recognized one of the teens and the store relayed that information to officers, Beekman said.
One of the teens was then contacted and arrested, leading to a raid on a Bend home where the second suspect was identified and arrested and stolen items were recovered. The pair are Bend residents, 16 and 17 years old.
Because the suspects are juveniles, their names are not being released, the lieutenant said, adding that the case has been referred to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office.
