Two Clark County residents who allegedly broke into a car Tuesday morning in West Linn, Ore., told the owner they were using the car to hide from someone.
The break-in was reported at a home near West Linn High School around 6:30 a.m. When the homeowner confronted the pair, they said they were being chased and had to get into the car for concealment, police said.
When officers arrived, they apprehended Tamara Leanna Ross, 27, of Ridgefield and, after a short foot pursuit into a nearby park, caught Alexander Kean Barber, 19, of Vancouver. Police found the pair with tools often used to break into cars and items that police suspected were stolen, West Linn Police Department Detective Mike Francis said.
Ross was booked into the Clackamas County Jail on suspicion of second-degree theft and possession of methamphetamine and heroin. She remains there in lieu of $47,500 bail.
Barber was booked into the jail on suspicion of unlawfully entering a motor vehicle. He was released after posting bail.
