Two Juveniles Arrested Following La Grande Crime Spree
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, September 1st, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Release from the La Grande Police Department) On August 30th, 2023, at approximately 7:15PM, Union County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Walmart in Island City for a report of a theft involving 2 juvenile suspects. The juveniles were gone by the time the deputies arrived and security video footage of the theft was obtained.
At approximately 11:36PM, La Grande Police Department officers responded to the Exxon- Eat & Run station on Island Avenue in La Grande for a report of a shoplifting. A witness to the theft described the suspects as two juvenile males dressed in dark clothing, including black hooded sweatshirts. The juvenile suspects had fled the scene prior to the police arrival and employees were obtaining security video footage of the theft to assist with the police investigation.
At 11:55PM, a security alarm went off at Dutch Bros Coffee Shop located at 2003 Q Avenue in La Grande. Officers immediately responded and observed the large drive-thru window of the business was shattered, but no one was inside. Officers immediately contacted Dutch Bros management and an employee quickly arrived and was obtaining security video footage of the incident to assist the police with an investigation.
On 08.31.23 at approximately 12:21AM, a witness contacted the police to report they witnessed two or three juveniles on bicycles hitting the window at the Desires store located at 1105 Washington Avenue in La Grande and had possibly broken the window. La Grande Police Department officers immediately arrived and caught the two juveniles near the Post Office as they were fleeing from the area. The responding officers were also able to verify a window at Desires had been broken.
Through security video footage, suspect descriptions and interviews, officers were able to identify the two male juveniles as the suspects in the Walmart theft, the Eat & Run theft, the Dutch Bro Coffee Shop mischief and the Desires store mischief. The two juvenile suspects were arrested for Criminal Mischief I X 2, Theft III and Criminal Trespass II and turned over to the custody of the Union County Juvenile Department. This case is still under investigation and more charges will be added. Anyone with information that may assist with this investigation is encouraged to contact Ofc. Ben Johnson at the La Grande Police Department at 541.963.1017.
