https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/ ... 463562001/
Two men were arrested and charged with multiple felonies for looting after a wild chase through the evacuated wildfire zone in the Santiam Canyon.
Anthony Travis Bodda, 21, and Alexander Justin Jones, 36, were charged with theft, burglary and attempting to elude police, among other charges, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
"I am disappointed that while in a state of emergency these people would victimize members of our community," Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast said. "The Marion County Sheriff's Office is committed to holding people accountable if they chose to victimize residents from our evacuated areas. We will continue to patrol evacuated areas and do our best to protect these areas from criminal behavior."
Officials said the incident unfolded like this:
At approximately 10:11 a.m. on Thursday, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a suspicious van in the area near Detroit. Fire crews also reported seeing the van earlier in the town of Idanha and were concerned it was involved in recent lootings, police said.
Deputies located the van near the Gates area driving at a high rate of speed. Marion County deputies along with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police pursued the vehicle. Police said witness reports confirmed the vehicle was involved in the recent lootings.
Anthony Bodda was arrested and charged with looting in the Santiam Canyon. The pursuit continued westbound on Highway 22 taking the exit into the Stayton and Sublimity areas. The suspects drove onto and through the golf course while deputies set up near Sublimity and successfully deployed spike strips and disabled the vehicle.
Two male suspects then ran from the vehicle. With the assistance of a Linn County K9 and other nearby agencies, one suspect was immediately located and taken into custody near the golf course. At the time he was spotted attempting to break into a home.
The other male was seen going into an animal shed near the Golf Lane SE area. He was located by a Linn County Sheriff K9 unit.
Alexander Jones was arrested for looting in the wildfire zone of the Santiam Canyon. Both suspects were taken into custody and identified as Anthony Travis Bodda, 21, and Alexander Justin Jones, 36.
The pair were taken to the Marion County Jail and charged with attempted theft, burglary, felony elude, attempted misdemeanor elude and reckless driving, interfering with an officer, possession of a burglary tool, reckless endangering, criminal mischief and criminal trespass.
