19-year-old jailed in 2nd Bend gun store break-in of year

(Update: Adding formal charges, more details)

A 19-year-old Bend man who pleaded guilty last month to breaking into a northeast Bend gun store where several guns were stolen was arrested early Monday morning after 14 guns were stolen from a southeast Bend gun store, police said.

Officers responded around 12:30 a.m. to an alarm at Deschutes Arms and Munitions on Southeast Logsden Street, Lt. Juli McConkey said.

Police arrived to find a broken window and two guns outside the business, she said.

A search perimeter was established, and a short time later, an officer spotted someone running from the location, McConkey said.

Officers chased and caught the suspect, Brandon Alan Petri, 19, and took him into custody, she said.

McConkey said Petri admitted to officers that he broke into the business and stole 14 firearms. Petri then helped officers recover all of the guns, McConkey said, adding that the business was conducting an inventory to be sure.

Petri was lodged in the Deschutes County Jail on one count of second-degree burglary, 14 counts each of first-degree theft and felon in possession of a firearm, nine counts of criminal mischief, a charge of possessing burglary tools and a felony probation violation.

Later, an initial court charging document listed five counts: First-degree theft, second-degree burglary and criminal mischief, possession of a burglary tool or theft device and felon in possession of a firearm. He was due for arraignment Monday afternoon.

McConkey said “a variety of firearms” were stolen and found.” She also said there didn’t appear to be any relation between the gun store burglary and two broken-window break-ins at a downtown Bend bank and realty office on Northwest Franklin Avenue late Friday night.

“We have leads on the other case. However, it doesn’t look like they are related at this point,” she said.

Bend police thanked Oregon State Police and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies for their assistance in the investigation.

Online court records show Petri pleaded guilty June 6 to a second-degree burglary charge, and in exchange, five first-degree theft charges were dropped involving five guns stolen Feb. 16 from Trigger Happy Guns on Northeast Butler Market Road. McConkey said four of those stolen guns were recovered.

Circuit Judge Wells Ashby sentenced Petri to 10 days in jail, two years of probation and several conditions, including 40 hours of community work service, possible restitution and a letter of apology to the gun store’s owner.