Two men accused of looting inside Oregon wildfire evacuation area

DETROIT, Ore. - Two men face accusations they entered evacuation zones and engaged in looting after residents fled the Beachie Creek Fire.

Deputies responded just after 10 a.m. Thursday to a report of a suspicious van in the area.

"Fire crews also reported seeing the van earlier in the town of Idahna and were concerned it was involved in the recent lootings," the Marion County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies found the van near the community of Gates.

The van drove off at high speed, with deputies from Marion and Linn counties and Oregon State Police in pursuit.

According to the sheriff's office:

The pursuit continued westbound on Highway 22 taking the exit into the Stayton/Sublimity areas.

The suspect vehicle drove onto and through the golf course while deputies set up near Sublimity and successfully deployed spike strips and disabled the vehicle.

Two male suspects ran from the vehicle. With the assistance of Linn County’s K9 and other nearby agencies, one suspect was immediately located and taken into custody near the golf course. At the time he was seen as attempting to break into a home.

The other male was seen going into a goat shed near the Golf Lane SE area. He was located by a Linn County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit.

The sheriff identified the suspects as Anthony Travis Bodda, 21, and Alexander Justin Jones, 36.

"I am disappointed that while in a state of emergency these people would victimize members of our community," Sheriff Joe Kast said. "The women and men of the Marion County Sheriff's Office are committed to holding people accountable if they chose to victimize residents from our evacuated areas. We will continue to patrol evacuated areas and do our best to protect these areas from criminal behavior."

Both suspects were booked at the Marion County Jail on charges of Attempted Theft in the first degree, Burglary in the second degree, Felony Elude, Att. Misdemeanor Elude, and Reckless Driving, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Possession of a Burglary Tool, Reckless Endangering, Criminal Mischief in the first degreeI and Criminal Trespass in the second degree.