Bethany Burglars Arrested; Stolen Tools, Car Recovered

BETHANY, OR — Washington County Sheriff's deputies on Sunday recovered a "vast amount" of stolen property, including the stolen car in which the other stolen items were kept, when they arrested two people caught on surveillance camera robbing a home-under-contruction in the Bethany area.

Adrian Mendoza, 32, and Melissa Pauline Springsted (Castro), 36, were taken to the Washington County Jail on multiple charges.

• Springsted was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and trespassing. She was released Sunday afternoon.
• Mendoza received the lion's share of charges, 14 in total, which include theft, attempt to elude an officer, possession of a concealed knife, burglar's tools, and methamphetamine, as well as a parole violation for felony assault charges he received from an unrelated case in August 2017.

Both Mendoza and Springsted are from Portland.

Deputies were reportedly dispatched to the 15100-block of Northwest Vance Road just before 1 a.m. Sunday when the home builder called to report a burglary in progress.

The home builder had security cameras installed at the work site and used the surveillance to give responding deputies a description of the suspects — later identified as Mendoza and Springsted — as he watched them move property from the work site to their 1995 Honda Accord.

Mendoza and Springsted reportedly left the home prior to deputies arrival but were found a short while later by deputies searching the area.

When the deputies moved to stop the suspects, Mendoza tried speeding away but turned down a dead-end street.

As Mendoza attempted to flee the dead-end street by pushing past one of the sheriff's vehicles, a deputy hit the Honda and pushed it off the road and into a light pole before it came to rest in a nearby yard.

Mendoza and Springsted were then taken into custody without further incident.

On Mendoza police reportedly found a knife and burglar's tools; the car was loaded with power tools, a generator, and "other items … that appeared to be freshly stolen," sheriff's officials said.

Detectives continue to investigate the other burglaries. More charges are possible, sheriff's officials said.

Images via Washington County Sheriff's Office