Man steals truck, eludes police
Despite dragnet, thief escapes
By Casey Clark Ney
Argus Observer
Thursday, March 27, 2008 10:29 AM PDT
Ontario — Area police swarmed an Ontario mobile home park Wednesday afternoon after a man driving a stolen pickup truck drove the vehicle into the residential area and fled the scene on foot.
According to Oregon State Police Sgt. Mark Duncan, four local law enforcement agencies responded to the incident. The OSP, Ontario Police Department, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office and Malheur County Search and Rescue all took part in a search for a man who managed to elude them.
The truck, a red, 1995 Dodge pickup with the words “Beck’s Spray Service,” was reported stolen to the OPD and eventually spotted by an OSP trooper later in the afternoon sometime around 2 p.m. According to Duncan, the truck was traveling on Oregon Highway 201 near the north interchange project. The driver of the vehicle was driving along the shoulder, through the construction zone, going approximately 80 m.p.h.
The OSP officer pursued the vehicle, which turned into the mobile home park situated at 3200 N. Oregon Ave., Duncan said. The park sits just east of the Interstate 84 and Oregon Highway 201 interchange near the Snake River.
As various law enforcement agencies responded to the incident, several families were cleared from homes situated on the backside of the mobile home park. A search team then swept the area, Duncan said.
In all, a search and rescue airplane, OSP boat, MCSO boat, several agency representatives and a canine unit took part in the search, Duncan said. According to OPD Capt. Mark Alexander, the police station received an initial call regarding the stolen truck at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday. The vehicle was removed from the Ontario Airport sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon. Alexander also said the truck has a regular cab and long bed with white lettering on each side.
Alexander said shortly after reporting the vehicle as stolen, the truck’s owner called the OPD at 12:40 p.m. claiming to have spotted the vehicle. The owner followed the truck for a short time before losing it. Not longer after, the OSP office saw the truck traveling erratically through the construction zone.
While officials were unable to catch the individual driving the truck, they were able to return the vehicle to its owner in better condition then when it was stolen.
“The truck is in better shape now then it was before,” Alexander said. “The effort was made to get this thing going.”
Prior to begin stolen, Alexander said the owner reported the vehicle had low tire pressure and did not run.
Alexander said witnesses reported seeing a Caucasian male driving the vehicle. The man has brown, bushy-type hair. He was last seen wearing sunglasses and a tan and blue ski jacket. Anyone with information regarding the incident or who saw the truck while it was stolen is asked to contact the OPD.
