Linn County deputies quickly recovered a stolen patrol vehicle on July 2.
The vehicle, a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria, was stolen at about 7 p.m. from the driveway of a Brownsville residence while a deputy was inside conducting an unrelated investigation.
After reporting the vehicle stolen, the deputy obtained another patrol vehicle and began searching for his car, Sheriff Dave Burright said. At 7:11 p.m., the deputy discovered the stolen car abandoned near Brownsville Dam. The driver’s window had been broken out and a rifle taken.
Additional deputies and Oregon State Police troopers arrived on the scene and conducted a search of the area.
The suspect was identified by witnesses and taken into custody at 7:43 p.m.
Brandon Lynn Williamson, 28, of Brownsville was lodged at Linn County Jail on charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle and attempted first-degree theft. Bail was set at $24,500.
The rifle was recovered at 9:45 p.m. in the brush along a foot path near the Calapooia River in Brownsville. Damage to the car is estimated at $300.