NEWPORT, Ore. — Eddy Brown, 55, a Newport resident, was arrested on December 9, 2024, after stealing a vehicle and using stolen credit cards. The theft was discovered when officers responded to a suspicious vehicle in the 5200 block of North Coast Highway.
At around 7:50 a.m., officers found a vehicle with all its doors open and personal items scattered around. The vehicle had been parked for roughly two hours before police arrived. After contacting the registered owner, officers learned the vehicle had been stolen from a residence on Cherokee Lane, Newport. The owner was unaware the vehicle had been taken.
Officers reviewed nearby surveillance footage, which revealed that the suspect had driven the vehicle to the location before fleeing on foot. Officer Mangum and K9 Sly were dispatched to track the suspect, and the K9 unit led officers through the area, identifying items that had been taken from the stolen vehicle, including a bag of the victim’s belongings concealed in brush.
The track led officers to a trailer park at 5801 North Coast Highway, where they discovered that one of the victim’s credit cards had been used at two stores during the time of the theft. Surveillance footage from the stores confirmed the suspect’s identity as Eddy Brown.
Officers located Brown’s vehicle at a residence within the trailer park, where K9 Sly had tracked the suspect. Brown was arrested without incident.
This arrest marked K9 Sly’s first criminal capture since joining the Newport Police Department just two weeks earlier. During his first week on duty, K9 Sly also helped locate a missing elderly person in Newport.
Brown was charged with multiple crimes, including:
Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle (Felony)
Theft I (x2) (Felony)
Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle (Misdemeanor)
Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card (Misdemeanor)
Identity Theft (Felony)
Computer Crimes (Felony)
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Officer Jerimiah Mangum of the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348, the Newport Police Tip Line at 541-574-5455, or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856.
