Portland, Ore. — Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft of thousands of dollars worth of equipment from a self-storage unit in West Linn, which belonged to the nonprofit organization Nonprofit Home Inspections. This organization provides home inspection services to low-income households.
The unit at NW Self Storage on Willamette Falls Drive was targeted in two separate break-ins on the night of October 16. The burglaries, which occurred nearly seven hours apart, resulted in the theft of equipment valued at around $75,000, according to West Linn police.
Charles Lewis, president and CEO of Nonprofit Home Inspections, was alerted to the break-in via Ring cameras he had installed inside the unit. “I froze for about 10-15 seconds… and when it was clear that someone was breaking in, I hit the alarm siren button,” he said. The burglars took several specialized tools, including radon machines, ground-penetrating radar, sewer scopes, and more.
Several days later, on October 20, a similar break-in occurred at Stafford Beverage, a liquor store in Wilsonville, where thousands of dollars in cash and liquor were stolen. Investigators found matching descriptions of the suspects, and surveillance footage from the West Linn storage unit led them to identify the suspects as 35-year-old Kyle Dean Runyon from Ryderwood, Washington, and 38-year-old Jimmy Cristea from Vancouver.
Detective Catlin Blyth of the West Linn Police Department praised the community’s cooperation in solving the case. “The smallest thing can break cases like this… it’s a team effort,” she said.
On December 4, investigators searched multiple properties in Clark and Cowlitz counties, recovering stolen items from the West Linn burglary and other goods linked to burglaries throughout the Portland metro area. Runyon and Cristea are facing charges in Clackamas County, though the specific charges have not yet been disclosed.
Anyone with information about these cases is encouraged to contact the West Linn Police Department or the sheriff’s office at the tip line: 503-723-4949.