North Plains’ police chief Washington County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant James Haxton and North Plains Mayor Teri Lenahan on Thursday, August 5, 2021 at the North Plains National Night Out. Photo: WCSO, Brenda Schaffer
Several neighborhoods in North Plains were struck by what the Washington County Sheriff’s Office described as an “overnight crime spree” in the wee hours of Saturday morning, August 7.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office serves the city of North Plains under a contract between the law enforcement agency and the city.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies assigned to the city received a report of a vehicle stolen from the 30200 block of NW Stewart Lane around 5 a.m. Saturday morning. Then, a call came in from a resident reporting their vehicle stolen from the 28800 block of NW Keenon Street.
The calls kept coming.
“Throughout the day, deputies received multiple calls from residents whose vehicles had been unlawfully entered,” a press release from the sheriff’s office said.
As of this story’s publishing, the sheriff’s office has found 21 people with items stolen, and deputies believe more people have not yet reported their missing items.
Deputies are seeking public assistance as they continue to investigate the rash of thefts, which wasn’t contained to just vehicles. A group of suspects went through several North Plains neighborhoods, trying car doors and entering some vehicles. In at least one case, deputies believe that a garage door opener in an unlocked car was used to open a garage door.
The suspects, the sheriff’s office said, entered the home through the garage while the resident slept, stealing several items.
Crimes were reported in the following areas:
10000 block of NW Bartlett Loop
10000 block of NW Curtis Street
28800 block of NW Keenon Street
28700 block of NW Shaddon Street
28800 block of NW Shaddon Street
30200 block of NW Stewart Lane
32100 block of NW Wascoe Street
32200 block of NW Wascoe Street
32300 block of NW Wascoe Street
10000 block of NW 209th Avenue
10500 block of NW 285th Drive
10600 block of NW 285th Drive
10500 block of NW 289th Ave
10600 block of NW 303rd Place
10300 block of NW 307th Ave
10900 block of NW 318th Avenue
Investigators asked that North Plains residents check their security camera footage recorded August 7 from 3:45 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. and to pass any information and relevant video footage to the sheriff’s office by calling non-emergency dispatch at 503-629-0111.
The sheriff’s office urged vehicle owners to lock their doors and to never store valuable items in unattended vehicles.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
