Two men arrested near Baker City for stealing an RV

BAKER CITY – It wouldn’t be illogical to assume that when a criminal selects a vehicle to steal, they would pick one based on speed, value, or maybe if it fulfils a specific, immediate need. Even for car thefts done on impulse, it would be expected that the vehicle being targeted would ideally be inconspicuous or easy to avoid law enforcement in. At the very least, one would expect that the person committing the carjacking wouldn’t already have outstanding warrants. A recent instance of automotive theft in Baker City, however, completely flies in the face of any sense of logic to a near comical degree.

At approximately 1:35 P.M., on Wednesday, January 17, the Oregon State Police conducted a traffic stop for an RV along Highway 86 near milepost 6 Eastbound. The OSP description of the incident is as follows:

“The Oregon State Police conducted a traffic stop for a traffic violation. During the contact, the Trooper discovered the vehicle was stolen and the driver was suspended violation. Both the driver and the passenger also had confirmed outstanding warrants for their arrest. Both individuals were arrested and lodged at the Baker County Jail for the crimes and warrants. The victim arranged for the vehicle to be recovered by Superior Towing.”

The two arrestees in question were Sydne Presten Lee Baltzell, M 25, of Baker City and Jestin Lee Harding, M 40, also of Baker City.

According to the official arrest report, provided by the Baker County Circuit Court, police became aware of the possibly stolen RV after being approached by a citizen who informed the arresting officer of a suspicious male in an RV that had previously attempted to break into the old Gentry Ford Building. The reporting citizen allegedly commented that, “the male in the motorhome did not seem like someone who would be the owner of the vehicle.”

During a subsequent traffic stop of the RV for a traffic violation, Jestin Harding, the driver, tried to claim that he was simply test driving the RV in preparation for, as written in the arrest report, “potentially going into a labor agreement to become the owner” but did not actually have a license to drive. Police quickly confirmed that the vehicle was, in fact, stolen from a storage lot in Baker City.

During Harding’s arrest, Sydne Baltzell announced to police that he was in the vehicle and tried to claim he was unaware that it had been stolen and was simply riding in the RV because he was a friend of Harding’s. Both men would ultimately be arrested and charged for unauthorized entry into the RV. The full list of charges for both men (both warrants and the RV theft), according to the OSP, are as follows:

Sydne Presten Lee Baltzell

• Unauthorized Entry into Motor Vehicle
• Possession of Methamphetamine – 2g to < 10g
• Theft II

Jestin Lee Harding

• Criminal Trespass II
• Unauthorized Use of Vehicle (UUMV)
• Unauthorized Entry into Motor Vehicle
• Import/Export Marijuana Items – Non OLCC Extract

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Elkhorn Media Group