Crime Spree Leads to Laundry List of Charges
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – (Press release from the Baker City Police Department) On May 6th, 2023, at about 7:00 pm Baker City Police received a report of a stolen vehicle from a home in Baker City. The homeowners were out of town. The suspect is known to the homeowners. A short time after that report it was reported to Baker City Police that the victim had located the vehicle with the assistance of another family member and no longer wanted to press charges for the stolen vehicle.
About an hour later Baker City Police were again contacted, and the victim had now learned that multiple firearms had been taken out of the home along with the vehicle. A report was taken on the theft of the vehicle and firearms, which at this point were under the control of a family member of the victim. Police had information that the suspect still may have a firearm in his possession and was having mental health issues along with possible alcohol and drug use. The Baker County Sheriff’s Office assisted by sending a Deputy out of the city to take custody of the original stolen vehicle and firearms left in that vehicle.
With the assistance of the victim police were able to identify another vehicle associated with the suspect. As Baker City Police were trying to locate the suspect and that vehicle, they were called to a suspicious situation at about 9:30 pm in the area of 2330 Canal Avenue in Baker City. The reporting party told police that he had seen what he described as a “crazy man” running through people yards. Two homeowners confronted the individual and got into a verbal argument before the suspect got into a vehicle and fled the scene. In his haste to get out of the area the suspect ran over a large US postal service mailbox. The description of the vehicle the suspect left in from this incident matched what police knew the original suspect in the first stolen car/gun case was driving.
As police were dealing with the mailbox incident BCPD got another call of a male individual running through private property in the 1300 block of 10th street. As police responded to that incident, they located the suspects’ vehicle abandoned. Police also spoke with one of the original individuals who had confronted the suspect back in the area of Canal Avenue and unknown to police at that time had followed the suspect in an attempt to get a license plate. Police learned from that victim/witness that in an effort to catch up to the suspect the suspect stopped his vehicle and confronted the victim. They got into an altercation and then the suspect fled away on foot, leaving his vehicle.
At about 10:45 pm police received a call reporting another stolen vehicle from the 1300 block of 16th Street. The victim reported that someone had taken a Geo Tracker that had the keys in it and two rifles in a gun rack. The suspect drove Geo through a mechanical gate. That vehicle was located later in the night abandoned not far from where it had been stolen from.
Around midnight Baker City Police received a message from the original victims in this case that the suspect was now back at their home in Baker City. The victims were out of town but had access to security cameras on their property.
BCPD with assistance from a Baker County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the home. Police confronted the suspect outside the home from a distance. The suspect fled on foot and tried to steal a four-wheeler from the property and flee but was taken into custody prior to.
The Suspect, Christopher Keith Brown, age 30 was transported to the Baker County Jail and lodged for multiple counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, hit and run property damage, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief 2nd degree, criminal trespass 2nd degree, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, Theft 1st degree and interfering with a police officer. Mr. Brown is on post prison supervision out of Idaho until November 2023.
The case is being reviewed by the Baker County District Attorney’s OfficeI want to commend officers from the Baker City Police for diligently working on this case all night and bringing it to a successful and safe resolution. I also want to thank the Baker County Sheriffs Office for their assistance and help with this case throughout.
