On December 9^th, 2024, at approximately 7:50 am, a suspicious vehicle was reported in the 5200 block of North Coast Highway. Officers located the vehicle with all of the doors open and items strewn about around the vehicle. It was determined the vehicle had been parked at the location for about 2 hours prior to police arrival. Officers were able to contact the registered owner of the vehicle and learned it was in fact stolen from a residence on Cherokee Lane in Newport. The vehicle owner was unaware their vehicle had been stolen until contacted by officers. 

Officers reviewed surveillance footage from the area and developed information that the suspect, who had driven the vehicle to its current location, had fled on foot northbound from the location. Officer Mangum and K9 Sly started a track and K9 Sly was able to follow the route the suspect had taken. During his track, K9 Sly alerted to several items lying on the ground, which were later determined to have been taken from inside the stolen vehicle. K9 Sly also located a large bag of the victim’s belongings that were concealed in some brush in the area. K9 Sly’s track eventually led officers to a trailer park located at 5801 North Coast Highway. 

During the investigation officers learned one of the victims’ credit cards had been used at two different stores in Newport, during the same timeframe as this investigation. From store surveillance footage, Officers were able to positively identify the suspect who used the victim’s credit card as Eddy Brown, a 55-year-old Newport resident.

Officers located Brown’s vehicle at a residence within the trailer park located at 5801 North Coast Highway, where K9 Sly had tracked to.  Brown was contacted and arrested without incident.

This was the first criminal capture for K9 Sly since being placed into service two weeks ago. K9 Sly also helped locate a missing elderly person in the Newport area during his first week of being a Newport Police K9 Officer.

Brown was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail for: 

Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle- Felony

Theft I x2- Felony

Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle- Misdemeanor

Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card- Misdemeanor

Identity Theft- Felony

Computer Crimes- Felony

The incident remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding this case, contact Officer Jerimiah Mangum of the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348. The Newport Police Tip Line is available at 541-574-5455, or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856 or tipline@newportpolice.net.

Information Released By: Sgt Leake, 541-574-3348

**Correction**

The incident occurred on November 27, 2024, not November 24, 2024.

On November 24, 2024 at about 2051 hours the Newport Police Department responded to 207 NW 15^th St. in Newport regarding a disturbance. Newport Officers arrived on scene and contacted the persons present.  Officers spoke with a tenant, Jeffrey Sutton.  He relayed that Mark Rodgers was at his house and described him as intoxicated and belligerent.  Sutton told Rodgers to leave his residence, and Rodgers began repeatedly punching Sutton in the head and body.  While Sutton spoke with officers, he began to have a hard time breathing and showed signs of respiratory distress.  Officers requested medics and rendered aid to Sutton.

Sutton became unresponsive as Officers spoke with him. Medics arrived on scene and began CPR. At 2133 hours, Sutton was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Based on witness statements and evidence gathered at the scene, Officers learned Rodgers had struck Sutton repeatedly with a closed fist in the face and body.

Mark Rodgers, 68, was taken into custody and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on the following charges:

• Murder 2
• Assault 2

The Lincoln County Major Crime Team responded to assist with the investigation.  If you have any information regarding this case, contact the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348. The Newport Police Tip Line is available at 541-574-5455, or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856 or tipline@newportpolice.net.

On November 24, 2024 at about 2120 hours the Newport Police Department responded to the Newport Senior Center on the report of a TCB Security Officer being spit on, called racial slurs and threatened at the location. 

Newport Police’s investigation revealed while the TCB Security Officer was checking doors at the Newport Senior Center they encountered a male subject, later identified as Mitchell Jones, 36, who was sitting on a bench at the location after it was closed.  The TCB Security Officer advised they had asked Jones to move on, as the Center was closed, and Jones stated that he would. When the TCB Security Officer re-checked the area later, they discovered Jones still on the premises. When the TCB Security Officer attempted to get Jones to leave the second time, Jones became aggressive, spitting on the security officer, calling the security officer multiple racial slurs, and threatening to cut them. Jones fled the area prior to police arrival. 

Officers checked the area and located Jones a short distance from the Senior Center. Jones refused to answer questions and tried to walk away. As officers were attempting to detain Jones, he tried pushing his way past the officers began resisting by pulling away and pushing at the officers. Officers were able to gain control of Jones and place him into custody. 

Mitchell Jones, 36,  was taken into custody and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on the following charges:

• Harassment
• Menacing
• Bias Crime 1
• Resisting Arrest
• Probation Violation from Yamhill County
• A Failure to Appear Warrant from Multnomah County 

If you have any information regarding this case, contact Officer Grippin of the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348. The Newport Police Tip Line is available at 541-574-5455, or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856 or tipline@newportpolice.net.

Information Released By: Sgt. Hallmark, 541-574-3348