Surveillance footage helps capture suspected Vancouver car prowler
A couple weeks of ago, a gang of people were seen prowling cars in Vancouver neighborhoods in an organized fashion. Then, a resident who came forward with very clear surveillance evidence, jumpstarted an investigation, leading to the prowler's arrest in Oregon.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A couple weeks of ago, a gang of people were seen prowling cars in Vancouver neighborhoods in an organized fashion. Then, a resident who came forward with very clear surveillance evidence, jumpstarted an investigation, leading to the prowler's arrest in Oregon.
Vancouver resident Joshua Gragg's countless surveillance cameras originally caught the thieves' cars in his neighborhood, but didn't think anything would come of it at first.
"I kind of washed my hands of it thinking, 'you know, it's just another police report,'" he said. "But with this, we actually had results."
After a suspect stole IDs, money and a knife from his truck, Gragg immediately turned in all of his video evidence to police. Especially since another victim in his area got their Bronco stolen and another was held at gunpoint.
But this week, Gresham police recovered the stolen Bronco and arrested the thief who was caught on Gragg's camera.
"I'm very grateful with how the Vancouver Police Department was able to pursue this and actually work with and partner with police in the other districts and able to help out and actually bring this to some level of justice," Gragg said.
Gresham police said the thief is now in a juvenile detention center. However, the rest of the prolific prowlers are still at large.
"I mean, clearly it doesn't matter the age. It would be intimidating to anybody on the street," Gragg noted. "You know, he was the person, allegedly, who held somebody at gunpoint within an hour of burglarizing me. So anybody who had to go through that, I'm sure it's very traumatic."
If anyone has information on this group of thieves, they are encouraged to contact Vancouver and Gresham police.