A late Tuesday night attempt at breaking into parked cars turned into a high-speed chase and crash in Portland's Washington County. According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the scene near the 17000 block of NW Countryridge Drive. They were in pursuit of a dark-colored sedan linked to the suspects, which ended up crashing near NW Bronson Road as the driver tried to escape.
The deputies, arriving on site, were greeted by a scene of chaos as four individuals bolted from the wreckage. A quick response captured three, all confirmed as minors, and with the aid of a Sheriff's Office K9 named Puddles and a vigilant local, the fourth suspect was caught after hiding in a nearby resident's yard. While responding to a call, Puddles managed to help in the capture of the fourth suspect, who attempted to take flight on foot.
Identified as 18-year-old Jayden Collins of Portland, the final suspect turned out to be the driver of the ill-fated escape vehicle. Collins had allegedly made a call to the owner of the vehicle while fleeing, attempting to persuade them to falsely report the car stolen. Once apprehended, Collins was charged with multiple offenses, including attempting to elude in a vehicle, attempting to elude on foot, reckless driving, criminal conspiracy, and criminal trespass in the second degree, as detailed by the Sheriff's Office.
Citizens victimized by the attempted thefts may still be oblivious to the night's events, but recovering from a chaotic end to the year, deputies are calling for any potential victims to come forward. Anyone whose vehicle may have been tampered with near the incident's location, or who possesses video evidence of the suspects, is encouraged to reach out to the non-emergency dispatch at 503-629-0111, referencing case number 50-25-18322, as noted by the Sheriff's Office in their report on the incident.
