UPDATE: Doorbell, driveway videos help deputies ID, arrest suspect in string of La Pine vehicle break-ins, thefts
(Update: Arrest in case, thanks to neighbors' videos, tips; suspect's criminal history)
La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The videos from several doorbell and driveway security cameras helped Deschutes County sheriff's deputies identify and arrest a La Pine man responsible for this week's late-night series of vehicle break‑ins in two La Pine neighborhoods.
In addition, "dozens of tips" from the community helped the sheriff's office identify the suspect as 27‑year‑old Noah Gabriel Kirshner of La Pine, Public Information Officer Jason Carr aid Friday afternoon..
Deputies reviewed several hours of video from homeowners' cameras that Carr said captured Kirshner stealing items from cars in the Reserve in the Pines and Crescent Creek neighborhoods.
The stolen items included purses, wallets, medications, and an iPad. Deputies say that most of the items have been recovered, and the property returned to the owners.
Kirshner was arrested and lodged in the county jail on these initial charges:
- Attempted Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle (7 counts)
- Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle (5 counts)
- Theft in the Second Degree (2 counts)
- Theft in the First Degree (1 count)
As deputies continue to sort through the large volume of video evidence and identify other victims, Kirshner could face more charges, Carr said.
"The Sheriff’s Office wants to thank all the neighbors who took the time to review their camera footage and share what they found with us," Carr said in a news release.
"This case is a good reminder that when nearly every driveway has a camera pointed somewhere, it becomes very difficult for criminal activity to go unnoticed.," he added.
Court records show Kirshner was arraigned Friday afternoon on four Class A misdemeanor charges – two counts each of second-degree theft and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle. He is due back in court April 17 to enter a plea on an expected formal indictment.
The court records reviewed by KTVZ also showed Kirshner has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 2017.
In 2022, Kirshner pleaded guilty to nine of 17 charges, including two counts of felony first-degree theft, and received a 13-month prison sentence.
KTVZ News reported in September 2018 that Kirshner, then 19 and a Sisters resident, was arrested for extensively damaging a home, throwing rocks at parked cars and taking items from several cars.
In October 2019, we reported that Kirshner was charged with cutting down and stealing a substantial amount of industrial hemp from a farm.
Earlier story:
La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office released neighborhood security camera images Thursday as it investigates a series of vehicle entries and thefts that occurred overnight in the Reserve in the Pines subdivision in La Pine.
Between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 1 a.m. Thursday, an unknown male suspect entered numerous unlocked vehicles throughout the neighborhood, DCSO Public Information Officer Jason Carr said.
Deputies have identified about 30 attempted entries and at least five confirmed theft victims. No damage to vehicles has been reported. Carr said the stolen items vary, and the investigation is ongoing as more calls continue to come in.
"Based on neighborhood cameras, the suspect appears to be wearing a light-colored or patterned jacket, a light-colored hoodie with the hood up, blue jeans, and a bright green face covering or mask," Carr said in a news release.
Residents in the area are asked to check their home surveillance systems, like Ring Doorbell, and report any suspicious activity, video footage, or information from the time frame listed above. Anyone with information that could help deputies is being urged to call the sheriff's office non-emergency line at (541) 693-6911.
Carr added: "The sheriff’s Office would also like to remind community members to remove valuables from vehicles and ensure vehicles are locked, even when parked at home."
