On September 28, 2024, at about 5:00 pm, Lincoln City Police (LCP) Officers responded to the report of a theft from Zumiez at the Lincoln City Outlets. At the scene, Officers learned that two males had entered the store, grabbed several items, then ran away without paying. Staff at the store were able to obtain the license plate of a red Honda HRV that the suspects used to flee the scene. During the investigation, LCP Officers were able to identify one of the suspect males as the owner of the vehicle, 36-year-old Erick Camacho of Portland. The total value of the stolen items was over $1000, raising the level of the crime to Theft in the First Degree, a Class C Felony.
Lincoln City Police Officers provided this information to surrounding agencies, including Polk and Yamhill Counties. At approximately 7:00 pm, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) notified the Lincoln City Police Department that YCSO personnel had located the vehicle and engaged in a pursuit eastbound on Highway 22. During the pursuit, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office received additional support from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Dallas Police Department, and Oregon State Police. Spike strips were successfully deployed, but the pursuit continued through the Dallas area and out towards Rickreall. During the pursuit, the driver of the HRV swerved toward three Polk County Sheriff’s Deputies before eventually crashing into a curb and stopping in the Rickreall area.
The male driver, identified as Erick Camacho was arrested on multiple charges including: Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering Another Person (x3), Attempt to Elude, and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. He also had an outstanding arrest warrant from Multnomah County on a charge of Failure to Appear on a driving offense.
The passenger in the vehicle, identified as 35-year-old Juan Sanchez, Jr, also from Portland, was detained. A significant amount of stolen merchandise was recovered, and YCSO transferred the recovered merchandise and Sanchez Jr to the custody of the Lincoln City Police.
Camacho was lodged in the Yamhill County Jail on their local crimes and the warrant. Sanchez, Jr. was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on charges of Theft in the First Degree and Criminal Conspiracy. The Lincoln City Police Department would like to thank the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office, the Polk County Sheriff's Office Oregon, the Dallas Oregon Police Department, Oregon State Police, and the employees of Zumiez for their assistance in this incident.
Without the diligent assistance of our local businesses, it would be impossible to identify and prosecute this type of crime, and without the outstanding assistance of these other agencies, the apprehension of these suspects would have been much delayed. Teamwork and inter-agency cooperation are hallmarks of our local agencies, and the Lincoln City Police Department wants to recognize the effort everyone put into resolving this retail theft case.
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