Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
With the help of residents at Mountain Shadows Trailer Park, Sweet Home police were able to capture an alleged shoplifter who had given them the slip earlier in the day.
Police took Forest Steinborn, 15, into custody, charging him with third-degree theft and third-degree escape, at the intersection of 18th and Willow streets after he was chased across fences at Mountain Shadows by an officer and a resident.
At approximately 12:35 p.m. on Sept. 20, the manager of Safeway reported a shoplifter, Officer Ryan Cummings said. The shoplifter had taken a bag of Halloween candy and juice.
Before the officer arrived, the shoplifter had run from the store, Cummings said. The employees followed him into the parking lot and lost sight of him near the intersection of Main and 15th streets.
Police later received a call from Mountain Shadows that the suspect had been located outside space 46 at the park, Cummings said. When Cummings arrived, Steinborn allegedly jumped a couple of fences.
“I got close enough to try to TASER him,” Cummings said, but he missed the shot. The suspect went over to 18th Avenue where Sgt. (Jeff) Lynn and Sgt. (George) Dominy apprehended him.
Lisa Levesque was watching her neighbor’s house while she was gone and was warned that Steinborn might go there, Levesque said. She was told that he was wanted for shoplifting at Safeway earlier.
When Steinborn arrived, Levesque told him that her neighbor was not home and he should leave. She called police from the park office.
Police found him at another neighbor’s house where he got a change of clothes, Levesque said. Steinborn allegedly went over a fence into the yard of Ray Davis whose son, Duane Davis, previously managed the park and who was working on his father’s water heater.
“The little boy came running through the back yard,” Davis said, and he jumped the fence.
Davis followed Steinborn through the park to 18th where police captured him, Davis said.