MHCC campus car break-ins

Lock your doors and make sure your windows are rolled up: Mt Hood has new resident car thieves making rounds in the parking lots.

According to an email sent by MHCC Manager of Public Safety Wayne Feagle last week, the main Gresham campus suffered three vehicle break-ins on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The cars were parked in lots J and M, located on the north side of the school, near the tunnel walkway. Items stolen from the vehicles include a necklace, loose change and stereo equipment.

Witnesses reported two Caucasian suspects, one male and one female. The man was 20-30 years old, with a smaller build – close to 5 foot, 6 inches, Feagle said in the email. The woman was 30-40 years old, with long, curly, brown hair.

The two were last seen speeding toward the Stark Street gate in a white, four-door sedan with tinted windows and a dented passenger-side door. Witnesses thought the car “may have been lowered” or “may have been a Chevy Malibu,” Feagle said.

As if one disturbance were not enough, an MHCC maintenance employee on Nov. 4 observed a man in a gray hoodie and long blue shorts looking into car windows and pulling on door handles. The man was seen getting into a two-door 1990 Gold Buick Regal with the Oregon license plate 533 FTX.

Moments later, a Public Safety officer watched the same vehicle back out of a parking spot in Lot M. The black-haired, light-brown complected suspect was between 6 foot and 6 feet, 1 inch and weighs about 175 pounds, the officer reported.

Public Safety and local law officers are actively working to identify and apprehend all the suspects, but welcome any assistance from students or employees.

“We need your help to prevent future thefts. As a community, we rely on each other to watch for and report suspicious activity and to prevent crimes of opportunity,” said Feagle.

With no patterns to follow, thieves prowling the MHCC lots have been going after easy targets – such as people who haven’t locked their car doors.

This is bad news for students who come late and forget to lock them. Reminder: when you leave your car, make sure the doors are locked, because it’s likely these thieves will return.

“If you keep anything in your car, don’t make it visible,” said Jeff Spurley, MHCC Public Safety officer. If students see anything, it’s best not to confront the thieves, because they might be carrying a weapon. Instead, if students see anything, they should “call Public Safety,” he said.

“Most of the time, I’ve found that it’s not one individual – it’s usually people working together in teams,” Spurley said of the car prowler(s). That has proven for more efficient break-ins and clean getaways, making it harder for Public Safety to catch the thieves, he said.

Public Safety has put out a couple of Bolos (“be on the lookout” alerts) for cars that they think might belong to the culprits, but haven’t received information recently. The office has taken several steps but also urges a more active, aware campus community.

If anything seems out of the ordinary, don’t hesitate to call Public Safety – you might end up saving someone’s items from being stolen. It’s better being safe than sorry.

In case of an emergency, call Public Safety at 503-491-7911.

For a non-emergency, call 503-491-7310.