Bend man arrested, accused of stealing motor home from dealership

(Update: Adding video, info, comments from dealership)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend man was arrested on Monday afternoon, shortly after stealing a motor home from an RV dealer that officers found a half-hour later on Hunnell Road, police said.

Police responded around 4:20 p.m. to the reported stolen motor home at All Seasons RV & Marine on Northeast Jamison Street, Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.

Officers learned the motor home, stolen about 10 minutes before the call, apparently had been sold and was being prepared for the new owner, Miller said. The dealership reported the suspect drove southbound from the business.

About a half-hour later, police found the motor home on Hunnell Road, where a large homeless encampment is located. A 41-year-old man who was coming out of the vehicle was taken into custody without incident.

The motor home was released to the dealer and the man was lodged at the Deschutes County Jail on charges of first-degree theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

An All Seasons representative said the man had visited their lot previously, looking at the RVs. The one he took was being prepared for sale and happened to have the keys in it.

"We keep all the keys … inside here, and they're locked up," said sales consultant Justin Alvarez. "And when you leave this property, you have to go by multiple people, walk by the shop and everything. So it was kind of silly to think that he could get away with something like that. And that's why I think we were so quick to act on it."

Alvarez said before he left the lot, the man had asked a technician to clean the RV's solar panels, which raised an alarm.

All Seasons also has security cameras that captured the entire event.

Dealer staff said there was no major damage to the motor home.