Tag: Burglary Task Force

Portland, Ore. – A Portland man faces dozens of counts of burglary and other charges, related to a string of break-ins at apartment and condo complexes. Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez says the suspect is accused of breaking into storage rooms and taking numerous bikes, leading to big losses for both the owners of the bikes and the buildings, “This is an individual that’s using a crowbar to just damage these doors and do a really forced entry to gain access. And then, various cutting devices to cut locks.” Vasquez adds, “This is a huge issue. This is why we brought forth the Burglary Task Force. There’s somewhat of a perception that burglaries are down, but I’m more of a believer there is a lack of reporting because there was a lack of faith in our system in years past.”

Christopher McGinnis was indicted last week following months of investigation by the DA’s new task force. “We have 43 different counts,” says Vasquez, “So I think it is a testament to the wide-ranging victimization within our community.” According to court documents, investigators believe McGinnis broke into three complexes multiple times over three months; in at least one case, changing clothes and returning several times on the same day. “He’s taking really anything he can get his hands on and has access to,” says Deputy DA Alex Garcia, “He is taking the e-bikes – that seems to be his most prized type of bike.”

Garcia says surveillance footage led to his arrest, but another person of interest appears on one of the videos, “Portland Police and our partners in the Burglary Task Force are seeking to identify this second person. He’s active on one of the condos.” Click HERE to view surveillance video released Monday by the DA’s office. Anyone with information on this or other relevant cases is asked to contact the Burglary Task Force at: [email protected]

McGinnis was arraigned on the indictment last week and is due back in court in mid-January.