Two men accused of breaking into the University Services Building on campus in early January and stealing thousands of dollars worth of equipment are in police custody. They were arrested in connection to another burglary in Portland.
The men were captured on surveillance cameras committing the break-in and theft of Facilities and Planning equipment, which took place over the course of nearly 12 hours on the evening of Jan. 4 through the morning of Jan. 5.
Over $68,000 worth of equipment, including brass and copper items, computers, large pipe fitters and a vehicle were taken, according to Michael Soto, chief of the Campus Public Safety Office.
The perpetrators took three separate trips into the building to take equipment.
The Portland Police Bureau and CPSO worked together to investigate the case. On Jan. 24, Nolan Arthur Harris, 21, and Tyson Andrew Harris, 22, were caught while committing a commercial burglary in another part of Portland. At the time, they were found to be in possession of PSU equipment.
“[The equipment] was being used to conduct the break in,” Soto said. “The PSU property was marked and identifiable.”
The two men arrested were found by police while hiding in a false ceiling, and a police dog was used to coax them down.
Almost all of the stolen PSU property has since been recovered, Soto said.