PENDLETON – Two individuals have been charged with stealing a small safe from a Motel 6 parking lot in Pendleton. The incident took place on October 8 at the motel on Southeast Nye Avenue, according to Pendleton Police Chief Chuck Byram.
A guest, who had stayed overnight, accidentally left a small safe on top of their vehicle as they checked out. The safe fell to the ground in the parking lot when the guest drove away.
“Video surveillance showed a person, identified as 38-year-old Pendleton resident Sara C. Shaver, picking up the safe and leaving in a vehicle with another individual,” Byram reported. The investigation revealed the second person as 45-year-old Tyson F. Jones from Long Beach, Oregon.
Both Shaver and Jones were arrested on October 30. The vehicle they used contained a significant amount of cash, resulting in felony first-degree theft charges. Chief Byram confirmed that nearly all of the stolen money has been recovered.