Update: Evidence of downtown Camas burglaries is found in stolen car in Beaverton area

A vehicle pursuit in the Beaverton, Oregon area has resulted in the discovery of evidence from some of the recent burglaries involving downtown Camas businesses.

Tuesday, at approximately 12:20 a.m., Camas Police were advised that Washington County Sheriff Deputies had been in a vehicle pursuit in the Beaverton area.

During the pursuit, deputies lost site of the vehicle but found it a short time later after it had been involved in a collision. The occupant(s) fled and were not located.

Inside the car was evidence of the burglaries. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Vancouver on Feb. 6.

Camas Police investigators are currently examining all of the evidence.

Monday, in the early morning, suspect(s) burglarized several businesses. The suspect(s) forced entry to the businesses by smashing out windows. Once inside, they stole cash, credit cards, electronics and food items.

Businesses affected by the break-ins included Artkana, 415 N.E. Fourth Ave., Cake Happy, 340 N.E. Fourth Ave., Dance Evolution, 334 N.E. Fourth Ave., The Wild Hair, 418 N.E. Cedar St., and Happy Island Restaurant, 419 N.E. Cedar St.

One or more individuals rummaged through some file cabinets in a back space that Attic Gallery, 421 N.E. Cedar St., shares with Happy Island. Nothing was taken from the gallery.

Frank Lednicky, pastor of Journey Community Church, said the church building at 304 N.E. Fourth Ave., was not broken into.

His office is located above Dance Evolution.

“The suspect(s) rifled through things, but I can’t see that anything is missing of any value,” Lednicky said. “A small amount of cash was on my desk.”

There was an attempted break-in at Straub’s Funeral Home, 325 N.E. Third Ave., but the suspect(s) did not make it inside, according to co-owner Chris Dierickx.

The front door of Caffe Piccolo, 400 N.E. Fourth Ave., was smashed Feb. 8. Electronics and an undisclosed amount of money were taken from inside the coffee shop.

After the Downtown Camas Association held an emergency meeting Monday, some merchants signed up to patrol downtown streets at night.

If anyone has information about any of the break-ins, they are encouraged to call the CPD at (360) 834-4151 and speak with an officer during business hours or call 911 after hours.