Eugene Police Patrol, Property and Financial Crimes Detectives, and Crime Prevention Specialists have been working hard to protect property and hold thieves accountable.
Property and Financial Crimes detectives conducted a series of operations on Thursday and made multiple arrests. With the assistance of the US Postal Service, detectives conducted a package theft operation. Multiple packages were delivered throughout the Eugene area. Each package was equipped with a hidden tracking device that allowed the package and contents to be located if stolen.
Later in the day a bait bike operation was conducted. Again multiple bikes with hidden tracking devices were deployed in the community.
In the middle of all that detectives managed a Craigslist buy/bust.
Crime Prevention Unit has been pushing out holiday crime prevention videos with Eugene Police PIO with topics spanning package theft and theft from vehicles.
- Holiday Package Theft: https://vimeo.com/album/5545304/video/303527467
Theft From Vehicle: https://vimeo.com/album/5545304/video/302937464
Here are some results:
At around 3 p.m. yesterday, December 13, detectives arrested H. Taylor Quinn Praytor, age 28, who had stolen one of the packages. Praytor was charged with Mail Theft. (case 18-19644)
Then, at around 4:16 p.m., detectives arrested Alexander Deanhenry Blasing, age 30, and Nathan Andrew Boklund, age 46, after a buy/bust. Detectives had been contacted by a victim of a bicycle theft, who located his stolen $5,000 bicycle for sale on Craigslist. The bicycle was stolen a couple of months ago from Paradise Campground on McKenzie Highway. Detectives made contact with the seller and arranged an undercover purchase of the bicycle. Ultimately both Blasing and Boklund were charged with Theft in the First Degree. Evidently, in some circles, the upper McKenzie Highway area is known as “Full Suspension-ville” due to how easy it is to steal nice full suspension bikes there. Both the suspects were charged with Theft in the First Degree. Case 18-19630
Yesterday, December 13, at 8 p.m., Joshua Herbert Kaplan, age 23, stole a bicycle equipped with a hidden tracking device. Detectives with the assistance of Lane County Parole and Probation were able to track Kaplan for several blocks where they attempted to stop him. Kaplan fled on the stolen bicycle for several blocks before ditching it and running on foot. He was captured a short distance away and taken into custody for Theft in the First Degree, Interfering, and Resisting Arrest. Case 18-19642