3 Arrested After Police Drone Forces Thief From Downtown Eugene Hotel Hidey-Hole
EUGENE, Ore. — Two suspects wanted in connection with a burglary where electronics and firearms were stolen on May 10 at about 11:20 a.m. in the 39200 block of Deerhorn Road, south of Walterville, were soon tracked down to a Downtown Eugene Hotel on W 6th Avenue.
One suspect was detained while the second was arrested after Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies, aided by a drone, forced him from the hotel where he was hiding. A third person, 46-year-old Crystal Joyce Standish, was also arrested on two outstanding warrants.
After residents tracked the stolen items to the hotel, Lane County officers detained one suspect, 55-year-old Allen Joseph Pharaoh Widmer, in the parking lot.
Police instructed the occupants of the room where the other suspect was hiding to exit. Several people exited and were detained, but a suspect, 57-year-old Donald Leroy Raymond, stayed inside.
As Raymond was likely armed, W. 6th Avenue was closed, and area residents were given shelter-in-place instructions while the LCSO Crisis Negotiation Team, Special Response Team, and Drone Team arrived to assist. Eugene Police officers also attended with armored rescue vehicles and drones.
Acting on a search warrant, officers attempted to call the suspect but, after this failed, the hotel door was breached with a vehicle ram to allow a drone to search inside. Shortly after the drone entered, Raymond exited and was detained.
A significant amount of drugs and several stolen items were recovered, including electronics and loaded firearm magazines, but the stolen guns were not found.
Widmer and Raymond were charged with Burglary in the 1st Degree and Theft in the 1st Degree, while Standish was arrested on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant for a parole violation and a Springfield Municipal Court warrant for Failure to Appear on a charge of Theft in the 1st Degree
All three were lodged at the Lane County Jail.