Bend man arrested after alleged weekend burglary and vandalism spree

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- James Thomas Tharp Jr., a 47-year-old Bend resident, was arrested after police linked him to a string of business burglaries, car break-ins and property damage between Friday and Sunday.

Police say they located Tharp inside an unoccupied house with stolen merchandise and booked him into the Deschutes County Jail on multiple counts of burglary, criminal mischief and theft.

The Bend Police Department investigated four separate case reports after they say a suspect damaged property at local businesses and vandalized parked vehicles across several neighborhoods.

The alleged spree began early Friday morning along NE Division Street before continuing through Sunday morning at a commercial business on NE Third Street.

At 5 a.m. Friday, officers responded to an alarm at High Time Vape and Smoke in the 2300 block of NE Division Street, where they say a rock had been thrown through the front door and vape cartridges were taken from a disturbed display. About 2 hours later, officers responded to an attempted burglary at The Herb Center dispensary in the 2200 block of NE Division Street. Surveillance footage from 4:52 a.m. showed a man throwing asphalt at a window, attempting to break a second window and dropping vape cartridges from his pocket before fleeing in a camouflage hooded sweatshirt, baggy pants and distinctive Nike shoes.

At 10:52 a.m. Friday, police received reports of five vehicles vandalized near NE Ross Road and Boyd Acres Road. Police say someone used large lava rocks to smash the vehicle windows, though nothing was stolen from the cars.

On Sunday at 7:15 a.m., officers responded to a burglary at Third Street Beverage in the 700 block of NE Third Street. Surveillance footage showed the same suspect wearing identical clothing breaking into the liquor store around 2:20 a.m. and taking cigarettes and socks. The break-in caused an estimated $15,000 in damage to the front door alone, along with additional damage to windows, a sign and an automatic sliding door.

Police identified Tharp as the suspect and located him at 8:49 a.m. wearing the matching outfit inside an unoccupied home in the 300 block of NE Greeley Avenue, where he was staying. Officers recovered $900 in stolen cigarettes, cigarette racks, socks, a hat and lighters from inside the residence, returning the property to Third Street Beverage. Tharp was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary, four counts of second-degree burglary, six counts of first-degree criminal mischief, four counts of second-degree criminal mischief and first- and second-degree theft.