(HAPPY VALLEY, Ore.) — A man in Oregon was arrested for living in a crawl space of a condominium complex for an “extended period of time,” according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Beniamin Bucur, 40, was arrested on Wednesday after officials investigated a “suspicious circumstance at a condominium complex” in Clackamas County near Happy Valley, the sheriff’s office said in a press release last week.
On Wednesday at around 11 p.m., a witness reported seeing a man “who was not known to live in the complex parking his car and walking to the back of one of the buildings,” officials said.
Upon further investigation, the witness also noticed the “door to the crawl space was open and light was coming from inside,” according to authorities.
Once officials arrived at the scene, they said they noticed the door to the space was “damaged and now locked,” along with an extension cord running through a vent.
Deputies reached out to the owner of the complex, who said “nobody was supposed to be down there” and that they had heard “strange noises coming from the crawl space before,” officials said.
When the keys the owner gave deputies did not unlock the door to the space, officials “breached the door and located the man,” identified as Bucur, according to authorities.
Bucur had taken “significant steps to improve the conditions of the crawl space,” with a bed, lights, chargers, televisions and other electronics all found “plugged into the house,” the sheriff’s office said.
A pipe with white residue that “tested positive for methamphetamine” was also found at the scene, according to officials.
Bucur was transported to the Clackamas County Jail where he was booked on charges of first-degree burglary and the unlawful possession of methamphetamine, authorities said.
The suspect’s preliminary hearing was on Thursday, with his bail set to $75,000, officials said.
It remains unclear whether Bucur has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Police are searching for a California wedding crasher who stole about $60,000 in cash and checks gifted to a bride and groom at a wedding. Glendale Police Department
(LOS ANGELES) — Police are searching for a wedding crasher who stole about $60,000 in cash and checks gifted to a bride and groom at a California wedding.
At a wedding held on Sunday, a suspect entered the wedding hall shortly after midnight, grabbed a gift box and fled through an exit, witnesses told Glendale Police.
Surveillance footage then shows the suspect fleeing the venue in a Mercedes SUV that appears to have been waiting for him.
The suspect is described by police as a male around 40 years old who is of White or Middle Eastern descent, who is bald and has a medium build.
The victim who reported the theft estimated that the box contained about $60,000 in cash and checks that had been gifted by wedding guests.
“As soon as we found out what happened, you know, the music shut down, everything immediately stopped,” the bride, Nadeen Farahat, told KABC. “I ended up sitting on the dance floor sobbing with my friends and cousins around me.”
The couple told KABC the suspect was there for at least 90 minutes.
“He’s watching the dance floor. He’s watching our family. It’s so scary to look back and see that there was a stranger at such a private event, and such an intimate event. It’s such a violation,” Farahat said.
The Renaissance Banquet Hall did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
The investigation into the theft remains ongoing and police said the suspect has not been identified.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Glendale Police Department at (818) 548-3127.
(MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore.) — A manhunt is now underway in Oregon for a murder suspect who was mistakenly released from prison on Monday, with officials calling the error “unacceptable,” according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
“This should not have happened,” Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Ty Anthony Sage, a 26-year-old who was facing second-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges, was accidentally released on bail on Monday, the sheriff said.
Sage, who was arrested back on May 20 in connection with the death of 15-year-old Lowgunn Ivey, received an initial release order that was signed on Sept. 17 which “indicated his bail had been set to $5,000,” the sheriff said.
But according to court documents obtained by ABC News, Sage had actually been denied bail in this case.
Officials are now conducting a “review of the incident” to have a “full understanding of what occurred,” the sheriff said.
“This individual should not have been released,” the sheriff said. “We hold the ultimate responsibility for a person’s release. In this case, we fell short. But we are committed to do everything we can to restore community trust and confidence in our organization.”
She said the employees involved in Sage’s release “acted in good faith based on the information that they had at the time.”
Morrisey O’Donnell said no employees have been placed on leave at this point and did not provide any information on where law enforcement resources are looking for Sage.
She also urged Sage to turn himself in.
Law enforcement partners “across the state” are now trying to figure out “where Sage went upon his release and where he is located now,” the sheriff said.
The victim’s mother, Jodie Ramsey, told ABC Portland affiliate KATU that she is “on complete edge all the time now” since Sage’s accidental release. Ivey’s death is allegedly related to a “gun and drug deal” between the victim and Sage, according to court documents.
“I went to his arraignment. I was there for his bail hearing, where he was denied bail, and here I sit wondering what’s gonna happen next,” Ramsey told KATU about the suspect.
Ivey was allegedly killed on Dec. 4, 2021, according to court documents. It is unclear whether Sage has offered a plea in the case.
Officials said they believe Sage’s release is an isolated incident and said the community is not at risk “at this point.”
Sage is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, according to booking information.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
