Two people were arrested and Sweet Home police are seeking two others after a reported robbery and stolen vehicle early Thursday, Dec. 7.
According to Police Chief Jeff Lynn, the Sweet Home Police Department received a report at approximately 1:15 a.m. involving a robbery and a stolen vehicle.
Officers responded to the 1100 block of Main Street, and made contact with two male victims, who are both residents of Sweet Home.
The two reported that they had picked up two males, one of whom is known to one of the victims at approximately 1 a.m. They said that when they drove the two suspects onto Pleasant Valley Road, one of the male suspects displayed a handgun and stole personal items from the victims and forced them out of the vehicle. The suspects drove away in the victim’s vehicle, a 2001 Buick.
At approximately 1:59 a.m., a Sweet Home Police officer located the stolen vehicle in the 4900 block of Main Street, occupied by four people and traveling east. The officer followed the vehicle onto 60th Avenue in Sweet Home while awaiting additional police units to arrive and assist.
When the stolen vehicle approached the intersection of 60th Avenue and Poplar Street, it was forced to turn west onto Poplar Street due to the Foster Dam Road being closed and blocked. The vehicle failed to make the turn and crashed into the guard rail at that location, coming to a stop. At the time of the crash, the officer had not attempted to stop the vehicle and was still following it waiting for additional units, Lynn said.
He said the crash was partly a result of the slick road, due to icy conditions.
When the vehicle came to a stop, two male suspects and a female suspect fled on foot. An additional female remained in the vehicle. She was subsequently detained by the officer.
Additional law enforcement personnel, including members of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and a K9 unit from the Albany Police Department, responded to the area in an attempt to locate the suspects that fled.
A Linn County Sheriff’s deputy located the female who had fled from the vehicle in the 5300 block of Main Street and she was taken into custody, Lynn said.
Desire Laree Tenbusch, 35, of Sweet Home, was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and lodged at the Linn County Jail.
Liv Shaela Breanne Lanning, 19, of Scio, was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. She also had several outstanding warrants which included failure to appear on a fourth-degree assault charge out of the Albany Municipal Court, failure to appear on attempt to elude and reckless driving charges out of the Linn County Circuit Court, and a Linn County supervisory warrant for probation violation on elude and possession of methamphetamine convictions. She was lodged at the Linn County Jail.
Sweet Home Police are seeking the two male suspects, who have been identified as Zachary Mitchell Johnson, 24, and Corey Brandon Ford, who also may go by the name “Wreyford,” 26. Both are considered armed and dangerous, Lynn said.
He said the investigation is continuing and additional charges are expected. Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Cyndi Pichardo at (541) 367-5181.