Photo: Brad Newgard
On Tuesday, August 31, 2021, around 4 a.m., Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a theft in progress near the 7600- block of SW Barnes Road, located in the Enhanced Sheriff's Patrol District (ESPD). Deputies learned the Sheriff's Office "bait car" had been broken into, and the suspect took several items.
The items stolen had GPS devices on them, so deputies and detectives were able to track the items in real-time. Less than 15 minutes after the "bait car" was broken into, multiple deputies and a Beaverton Police Department K9 unit found the suspect, 28-year-old Sean Garner, and took him into custody. Garner was found under a nearby building and had several items with him that had been stolen from the 'bait car."
Garner was lodged in the Washington County Jail for unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and theft in the first degree.
In response to a recent increase in theft calls related to unlawful entry into motor vehicles, detectives assigned to the Property Crimes Unit deployed the Sheriff's Office "bait car" specifically to curb the thefts. The Sheriff's Office has numerous "bait" items which are deployed throughout the county year-round, including packages, cars, bikes, tools, and trailers
Source: Washington County Sheriff's Office