Prineville, Ore. – A woman from Prineville was arrested earlier today by Prineville Police after allegedly stealing a motorhome in Redmond that had a young black Labrador retriever inside. The vehicle was taken from a parking lot at 1400 SW Canal Blvd. just before 1 p.m., according to Redmond Police Lt. April Huey.
“At 12:53 p.m. this afternoon, we got a call from one of the owners of the motorhome,” Huey told the Prineville Review. “They reported that their motorhome was stolen and their dog was in it.”
The couple, who were visiting Redmond, had reportedly left the keys in the vehicle while stepping into a nearby business for lunch. One of their cell phones was also left behind, which allowed them to quickly track the location of the stolen vehicle. The signal led police to the Prineville area.
Redmond Police alerted Prineville PD, who soon located the motorhome along NE Peters Road. Prineville officers conducted a traffic stop and detained the woman at the scene.
“We advised Prineville [Police], and Prineville located the motorhome with the dog in it,” Huey said.
According to Prineville Police Sgt. Daniel Yanes, their officers located and arrested the suspect just after 2 p.m., just an hour after the motorhome was reported stolen to Redmond Police.
Fortunately, the dog was unharmed, and the victims were reunited with both their pet and their motorhome shortly after the arrest, according to Yanes.
The suspect, who is reportedly from Prineville, was transferred to the custody of Redmond Police and then booked into the Deschutes County Jail. Huey confirmed that the suspect did not know the victims.
The woman initially provided a false name to authorities, jail officials said. She later admitted the name was not accurate and provided a different one. Officials with the Deschutes County Jail said they were currently working to verify the suspect’s identity through fingerprint analysis. The Prineville Review is withholding any names until law enforcement confidently confirms her identity.
She is currently facing charges of Theft in the First Degree, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle, according to jail records.
Huey also noted that they always caution drivers about leaving keys inside their vehicles, explaining that it takes just a minute for a bad actor to take advantage of the situation.
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