Carjacker crashes in Powellhurst-Gilbert

After stealing a truck at Freddies, the suspect shoots at the owner before speeding away. The gunman-thief is still at large, officials say …

Police close off Powellhurst-Gilbert several neighborhood streets, looking for an armed man who they say stole a truck, shot at the owner, and drove into the outer East Portland neighborhood.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Part of the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood went into lockdown the evening of January 23 after the owner spotted someone he didn’t know in his truck in the Fred Meyer parking lot on SE Division Street at 147^th Avenue.

Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers came to the parking lot and spoke with the stranded truck owner. “The vehicle’s owner reported being shot at by the occupant of his stolen vehicle; the vehicle owner was not injured,” said PPB Public Information Officer Lieutenant Tina Jones.

The driver didn’t get far, he lost control, drove up a lawn, and smashed into a house.

The extended-bed, crew cab 4×4 pickup truck raced through nearby neighborhood streets; but apparently, the thief was unskilled at driving; he crashed the white pickup truck into a house, on SE Francis Street near 136 Avenue. The suspect bailed out of the smashed rig, and took off running.

While the PPB Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team came into the area, officers cordoned off the area, from SE 132^nd to 134^th Avenue, and from SE Bush to Center street, and neighbors were asked to “shelter in place”.

SERT officers begin to search the neighborhood for the armed, truck thief suspect.

Although the suspect made a clean getaway, he left a female behind, in the crashed truck. “A female occupant of the stolen vehicle was detained and Detectives are determining if criminal charges are applicable,” Jones noted.

“This subject who was believed to be armed with a firearm, is described as a Caucasian male, in his 20’s, thin build, wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans,” described Jones.

Officers look for evidence that may lead them to the suspect.

The pickup truck had crashed into the dining room of the house. The resident told reporters that he was cleaning up after a party when the truck careened into the structure. Although he said he was frightened by the incident, he added that, fortunately, no one in the house was injured.

“The search by PPB’s SERT officers was completed at about 10 p.m.; the suspect was not apprehended, but the investigation continues,” Jones said.

The stolen, smashed truck is towed away from the house into which it smashed.

If anyone has information about the incidents or involved persons, contact Detective John Russell at (503) 823-0464 or email him at john.russell@portlandoregon.gov or Detective Kenneth Reynolds at (503) 823-0407; or Kenneth.reynolds@portlandoregon.gov.

Comments are closed.