Thief Arrested After Stealing Sheriff's Office Bait Package

BEAVERTON, OR — Deputies arrested an Aloha man at his home early Thursday for allegedly stealing a Washington County Sheriff's Office bait package from a porch less than two blocks from his own residence.

Gary Anthony Medeiros, 27, was taken to the Washington County Jail for mail theft and second degree theft, tampering with physical evidence, criminal mischief, and a parole violation. His bail information was not yet available at publishing time. This post will be updated.

According to the sheriff's office, a bait package alarm was activated just before 2:45 a.m. Dec. 7 at a residence near Southwest 170th Avenue and Southwest Jenkins Road in Aloha, an unincorporated area of Washington County.

Using GPS technology, deputies tracked the package to a home less than two blocks from where it had been taken, officials said.

Deputies issued commands for the suspect — later identified as Medeiros — to exit the home, but he reportedly refused. While deputies were obtaining a search warrant, and while Medeiros was allegedly attempting to destroy the package, another person who lives at the same home arrived, officials said. Medeiros reportedly surrendered on his own shortly after.

Medeiros has a short criminal history in Oregon, which includes charges for possessing a forged instrument, giving false information to a police officer, and possession of methamphetamines.

This is the third year the Washington County Sheriff's Office has deployed bait packages into the community in an effort to reduce package thefts around the holidays and otherwise catch those who still take the risk.

Image via Washington County Sheriff's Office