Man Suspected Of Aggravated Identity Theft In 3 Counties Arrested

FOREST GROVE, OR — A 27-year-old man suspected of aggravated identity theft in at least three counties was arrested Sunday at McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove.

Garrett Luke Pruitt-Rexroad was taken to Washington County Jail for attempting to elude an officer, driving while suspended, and reckless driving.

Open cases in Clatsop and Clackamas counties, as well as one closed case out of Multnomah County, show Pruitt-Rexroad has a short but exceptionally busy history of illegal activity, most of which involve identity theft, beginning in May 2017; but his arrest in Forest Grove March 4 appears to have been instigated by his decision to flee a Forest Grove officer whilst driving a U-Haul van.

According to Forest Grove police spokesman Sgt. Michael Hall, the cases appear to only be linked by Pruitt-Rexroad himself.

"Many perpetrators of fraud span large geographic areas," Hall told Patch in an email. "With what I have heard from investigators, he is allegedly a prolific perpetrator. Our investigators have been in contact with other law enforcement entities."

Forest Grove officers reportedly served two search warrants simultaneously Sunday: one at the McMenamins Grand Lodge at 3505 Pacific Ave., and the other on an abandoned U-Haul van on Porter Road, near Highway 47.

Earlier, a Forest Grove patrol officer tried stopping the van in the 2000-block of Main Street but the driver — suspected to be Pruitt-Rexroad — fled. The officer chose not to pursue the van at that time, Hall said.

Investigators later learned Pruitt-Rexroad, whose name was connected to the van, was also a registered guest at the Grand Lodge.

After police arrested Pruitt-Rexroad, they obtained the search warrants for the van and his room, where they discovered evidence of an identity theft operation, including tools used to manufacture credit cards.

It's unclear how many identities Pruitt-Rexroad allegedly stole in this case, but the case in Clackamas County involved no fewer than 10 people.

When Pruitt-Rexroad was arrested in Astoria last November, evidence of at least 50 stolen identities — and methamphetamine use — was discovered in the car he crashed after trying to escape police at 130 mph.

Pruitt-Rexroad's litany of charges from that incident included aggravated identity theft, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and reckless endangering.

Anyone with information related to this most recent arrest and investigation is asked to call the Forest Grove Police Department at 503-992-3260.

Image via Forest Grove Police Department