Sheriff IDs Bridal Veil Kidnapping Suspect

BRIDAL VEIL, OR — A registered sex offender from La Center, Washington, was arrested in Oregon and booked at the Multnomah County Jail early Wednesday, following a Multnomah County Sheriff's investigation into a possible kidnapping situation outside Bridal Veil in the Columbia River Gorge.

Douglas Lawrence Braaten, 61, is being charged with misdemeanor prostitution and felony sexual penetration. His bail is set at $252,500.

Multnomah County detectives began investigating an alleged kidnapping outside Bridal Veil Tuesday evening, according to Lt. Marc Shrake of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were dispatched to the reported kidnapping — which was initiated by a call from the woman who claimed to be kidnapped — just after 7:30 p.m. March 6.

Using the GPS location of the woman's cell phone deputies tracked the call to Bridal Veil, where they found the vehicle suspected to be involved in the kidnapping just off the Interstate-84 Bridal Veil exit.

Braaten, the car's driver, was reportedly detained for questioning, though Shrake did not specify whether the woman was found.

No additional information is available at this time.

This post was updated to include the suspect's identity and charges.

Image via Multnomah County Sheriff's Office