Seattle man jailed, accused of wielding airsoft handgun, knife to rob homeless man at camp near Sisters

Another campsite was damaged, ransacked, deputies say

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Seattle man was arrested on robbery and other charges, accused of pointing a handgun (that turned out to be an airsoft) and brandishing a knife to steal a homeless man’s backpacks and sleeping bag at a homeless camp on Forest Service land just outside Sisters.

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 8 a.m. Tuesday to a call of an unwanted subject at the Mainline Station on Rail Way in Sisters, Sergeant Jason Wall said.

The staff there said a man was “making concerning statements to the staff about houseless camps across Highway 20 in the adjacent U.S. Forest Service land” near the Sisters city limits, where there are several homeless camps, Wall said.

Deputies arrived quickly and made initial contact with the man, identified as Dana Roy, 42. Wall said he was released after he was identified, as they had they determined there was no probable cause for an arrest at the time.

Deputies conducted more interviews at some nearby homeless camps, Wall said, and determined Roy had approached a man at the camp, pointing the apparent handgun, brandishing a knife and ordering him to give him the two backpacks and sleeping back, which he complied with.

Roy then allegedly took the items, went to another camp and caused damage there, cutting a tarp and a tent and ransacking the camp, Wall said.

Deputies searched the area and recovered the stolen backpacks and sleeping bag, which they said Roy abandoned in the forest. They also discovered the camp allegedly damaged by Roy.

Due to the new information, deputies again contacted Roy, who was still in the area, and arrested him without incident.

Roy was taken to the county jail in Bend and booked on second-degree charges of robbery, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and theft, as well as unlawful use of a weapon and menacing, Roy said. He remained held late Wednesday on $50,000 bail.

The firearm later was determined to be an airsoft gun, but has not been found by investigators, Wall said.

Court records show Roy was arraigned Wednesday on initial formal charges of second-degree robbery and criminal mischief, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing. He is scheduled to return to court next Wednesday for arraignment on an expected formal indictment.