Assault report update: ‘No credible info’ of active threat

(Update: Bend police still investigating but find ‘no credible info of any threat)

Bend police and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies who spent Friday looking into a viral Facebook post of an assault and robbery on the city’s Westside said later they’d found “no credible or substantiated information” to indicate any active threat.

Here’s the updated news release from Sgt. Adam Juhnke:

“On November 16th, 2018 officers from the Bend Police Department reached out to an adult female regarding information received from a Facebook post last night regarding a robbery on the west side of Bend. Name(s) are being withheld at this time due to an ongoing investigation.

“The Bend Police Department and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office worked together to determine a possible location of occurrence, NW Shevlin Park Road / NW Chardonnay Lane.

“Bend Police detectives worked throughout the day interviewing the adult female, conducting a scene investigation and analyzing other items of evidentiary interest. Bend Police confirmed neither college campus was involved or connected in any way to this investigation.

“Based on the investigation, we have no credible or substantiated information to believe there is an active threat to the public or either college campus.

“The Bend Police Department would ask the residents in the area of NW Shevlin Park Road / NW Chardonnay Lane to check any and all surveillance cameras for suspicious activity or a large black van within the last 36 hours.

“Please contact the Bend Police Department Non-Emergency number if you have any additional information relevant to this investigation (Re: Bend Police Department Case #2018-356489).”

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Earlier story:

Bend police and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Friday they are investigating a report of one, possibly two, frightening assaults on the city’s Westside they first learned of through a Facebook post that quickly went viral.

In the post, shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, a female said her mother told her she had been driving near Shevlin Park “when two guys (who) were hiding in the bushes threw a black stuffed animal dog in front of her car.”

The post said she stopped and got out, found it was a stuffed animal — and then, “two guys came behind her, pulled a knife on her, robbed and assaulted her and told her they would kill her if cops knew.”

The daughter quoted her mother as saying the men wore black sweatshirts and beanies and were driving an older black van with no license plates, similar to one in a photo attached to the posting.

“She reported it and police are on the lookout as we speak,” the posting stated, adding, “This happened to a girl last night up by the college as well.”

Bend police Lt. Clint Burleigh said police actually learned about the incident from the Facebook post.

“My understanding is after we reached out (Friday) morning, the victim came in to the Bend Police Department to make the report,” Burleigh told NewsChannel 21.

In a brief Bend police news release, Sgt. Adam Juhnke wrote, “Due to this being an active investigation and in the early stages, additional information will be shared at a later time.”

The release also included two images of the Facebook post and photo, cropping out the name.

Burleigh said the Facebook posting already had been shared more than 1,000 times by mid-morning and police “have been contacted by numerous citizens, asking if we are aware. We wanted to let everyone know we are looking into this.”

NewsChannel 21’s Lauren Melink is tracking the police investigation and we’ll have more details as they are released, online and on NewsChannel 21 Fox @ 4 and KTVZ at 5 and 6.