Car Prowl Suspect Caught, Held At Gunpoint By Victim

News Release from: Salem Police Dept.
CAR PROWL SUSPECT CAUGHT, HELD AT GUNPOINT BY VICTIM
Posted: December 13th, 2011 2:02 PM
Photo/sound file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2011-12/1095/50014/Parker (Ernest Parker)

Early Tuesday morning a suspect was caught in the act of breaking into a car in south Salem. The suspect was confronted at gunpoint by a citizen then detained until officers arrived.

Salem Police received a call at 5:14 a.m. on Tuesday, December 13 that a homeowner in the 700 block of Hazeltine Av SE had caught a suspect attempting to break into a vehicle. A friend of the resident had a handgun and confronted the suspect, detaining him until officers arrived.

Salem Police Officer Kevin Ramirez was the first officer to arrive and took the suspect, 27-year old Ernest Parker, into custody. Officer Ramirez then coordinated the response of other units to the area to assist in checking for additional suspects.

Officers located Parker's vehicle parked a short distance away and recovered a considerable amount of possibly stolen property. Salem Police Detectives also responded to assist, and the investigation indicates that Parker may have been involved in numerous incidents of thefts from vehicles throughout the Salem area for at least the past week.

Parker was transported to the Marion County Jail and booked on four counts Unlawful Entry Into A Vehicle, four counts of Theft in the Second Degree, Attempted Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle and Criminal Mischief. The investigation is continuing and further charges are pending. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Salem Police Detective Cole Hughes at 503-588-6050, extension 7160.

The Salem Police Crime Prevention Unit would like to remind everybody to lock your car doors every time you park. Many vehicles are breached every year because the vehicles are not secured and make easy targets for thieves. Do not leave items in plain sight in vehicles even if the item is an empty bag or suitcase. Thieves don't know that it is empty and they can cause a lot of damage to a vehicle breaking in simply to see if the bag contains valuables. If you have to leave something in the vehicle, secure it in an area that is not visible from the outside such as a trunk area and then disable the manual trunk release located in the vehicle. Always park in well lit areas when possible. Lastly, consider forming a Neighborhood Watch if it is not already in place. Neighborhood Watch is an excellent way to help deter and reduce crimes of this nature. In this case, the alert resident likely prevented many more crimes.

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