PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man suspected of breaking into three Portland businesses and stealing thousands of dollars is now behind bars, and as some business owners tell us, they hope he’ll stay locked up and get help.
Last month, KOIN 6 News shared the story of local blues and jazz spot, the Blue Diamond, after a break-in was caught on camera.
“He was obviously experienced at doing what he was doing,” said Sonny Hess, co-owner of the Blue Diamond Bar and Grill.
What started as weeks of not knowing who broke into their small business in late August is now a sigh of relief for Jamie and Sonny Hess, co-owners of the Blue Diamond.
“They voted to indict him,” said Sonny Hess. “That’s a big, huge relief that somebody like that is going to be off the street.”
Last week, officers arrested 53-year-old Yarin Zachary Taylor downtown after one officer recognized him as the same person caught on surveillance video which captured the Aug. 30 break-in at the bar on NE Sandy.
“It wasn’t until we put the cameras up that we got the face. It was a really good camera shot thanks to our chef Patrick. I’m thanking him,” said Hess. “Sometimes putting the cameras up does pay off. If it’s a good enough picture, and it sounds like this fella did it once or twice before.”
Weeks before the break-in was caught on camera, the Blue Diamond had thousands of dollars stolen in a different burglary before the camera system was installed. Taylor has not been connected to that first break-in, but police have now tied him to a number of other business burglaries in the metro.
According to court records, officers were called to the China Star restaurant near SE Division and 122nd for a break-in in the early hours of Sept. 9. They say when they caught up and arrested the suspect — identified as Taylor — he was armed with a crowbar and dozens of fentanyl pills.
Less than a week later, officers were called to a burglary in progress at the Jumbo Lounge on SE Johnson Creek, and upon finding the suspect, identified as Taylor, they also found a bag with more than $5,600 and multiple crowbars.
The business owner told police they recognized the suspect as the same person caught on video a month before, taking $8,000 from a safe. Police say Taylor admitted to the burglaries, saying he was out of work and about to lose his housing and needed cash.
Hess says while it’s a comfort knowing he’s behind bars, she also hopes he can get the help he needs.
“It’s a drag it happened to us but we just don’t want somebody else to get that grief and feel violated, you know,” said Hess. “I hope they convict him and I hope that he goes to jail for a while and gets some help and gets it figured out.”
Jail records show Taylor is still held behind bars. An arraignment following his indictment is now set for this Thursday.