NORTH PLAINS, OR — A North Plains man is in prison after a vehicle-stealing spree that started while he was out walking the dog, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a call about a city vacuum truck being stolen from the North Plains Public Works around 1 a.m. on Friday, the office said in a news release.
A witness followed the truck through the gate of the works yard and followed it along Northwest Mountaindale Road. The truck veered off the road and got stuck in a field near Northwest Old Pumpkin Ridge Road. The witness said a man got out of the vehicle and began running towards the city. The witness called 911 and provided a description of the man.
Washington County deputies arrived on scene with a canine unit and began a search.
Meanwhile, the suspect stole a Ford F-350 from the garage of a home near North Plains Elementary School. A deputy searching for the suspect saw the F-350 driving without its lights on, but it evaded the deputy.
Another deputy encountered a woman who said she was looking for her boyfriend who’d taken their dog out for a walk.
Deputies had found an abandoned German Shepherd at the works yard. Deputies went to the suspect’s home and spoke to him on the phone.
Deputies also showed a picture of the suspect to the person who witnessed the theft of the vacuum truck. The witness confirmed the identity of the suspect.
Deputies arrested the suspect without incident. After the arrest, deputies found out the suspect entered three other vehicles at the works yard. The stolen F-350 was found at the Jessie Mays Community Park, less than a block from the suspect’s home.
Benjamin Feigert, of North Plains, has been charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree aggravated theft, second-degree burglary, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and four counts of unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.
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