Bend police find gun used in carjacking attempt; Klamath Falls man also accused of trying to break into SW Bend home

(Update: Gun recovered; police say suspect tried to break into home, Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The handgun a Klamath Falls man allegedly used in last week's attempted armed carjacking of a Bend woman has been recovered by police near a southwest Bend home that they say he allegedly tried to break into, leading to additional charges.

Police said Matthew Carlton Drake Jr., 24, pulled a gun and forced a Bend woman out of her parked car Thursday night in an apartment parking lot near Third Street and Reed Market Road. She took her keys and ran, so he did not take the vehicle but fled and was arrested on several charges after an extensive police search,

Police praised the victim's actions in helping bring about the quick capture.

Bend Police responded around 7:25 p.m. last Thursday to a 911 call of an armed carjacking in the the parking lot of the Stone Creek Apartments in the 300 block of Reed Market Road, Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.

When officers arrived, they spoke to the victim, a 48-year-old Bend woman. She reported that she had been approached by an unknown man who pointed a gun at her and ordered her out of her parked car, Miller said.

She ran from the vehicle, taking her keys but leaving her cellphone. While on a family member’s phone, she called 911, reporting that she could see the suspect in her car. 

"She was parked near where she lives, which is how she was able to get a family member’s cell to call 911," Miller told NewsChannel 21.

When police arrived, the victim’s car was where she had left it, but her cellphone was gone. The victim provided a detailed description of the suspect, and officers, including drone operators and K-9 Billy and his partner, began searching for the suspect. 

After an extensive search, officers found the victim’s phone in a nearby McDonald’s parking lot. Around 8:25 p.m. Thursday, a Bend Police officer located the suspect in the parking lot of AutoZone Auto Parts in the 1300 block of South Highway 97, Miller said. 

Drake, who recently arrived in Bend from Klamath Falls, was taken into custody and booked into the Deschutes County Jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery, first-degree theft, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, menacing, unlawful use of a weapon and pointing a firearm at another.

Bend Police continued their investigation over the weekend, including a search for the missing handgun, Miller said Monday.

"We reviewed video surveillance from local businesses that helped us narrow down the area we needed to look in, then officers canvassed door to door to ask people if they had video," she explained.

While reviewing surveillance video, officers found evidence Drake attempted to enter a home on SW Hayes Avenue around 8 p.m. Thursday. After an extensive canvass of the area, police on Sunday found the handgun on that property, Miller said.

As a result, Drake, still being held without bail at the Deschutes County Jail, has been cited on new charges of suspicion of first-degree attempted burglary and felon in possession of a firearm.

Miller says despite the frightening circumstances, "The victim did a great job – she had a detailed and accurate description of the man and what he was wearing."

And the police spokeswoman stressed: "Your possessions aren’t worth your life – she was smart to do what she had to do to get away safely. And she figured out a way to call 911 really quickly, which allowed our officers to flood the area before the suspect had made it very far."  

Miller added that "Bend Police wish to thank the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police for their assistance on this incident."

Drake was arraigned Friday afternoon on three initial felony charges - second-degree robbery, first-degree theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle - as well as two misdemeanor counts, of menacing and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle. He is due back in court Friday for arraignment on an expected grand jury indictment.

Court records show Drake has a lengthy criminal record, including four Klamath County misdemeanor charges earlier last week of driving with a suspended or revoked license last month.

Drake pleaded guilty earlier this year to aggravated identity theft and received a 13-month prison term. Numerous previous charges dating back over the past five years include theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle.