Date: March 15, 2023

Case #: 2023-00013242

Incident: Gun recovered, Bend man arrested after theft from vehicle

Date / Time of incident: March 14, 2023 / 1:13 p.m.

Victim: 49-year-old La Pine resident

Arrested: Dakota Jess Tittle, 27-year-old Bend resident

Charges: Theft I, Theft II, Unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, Felon in possession of a firearm

On March 7, Bend Police responded to a report of a vehicle break-in at the Bottle Drop in the 700 block of NE Second Street. 

The vehicle, a Ford Ranger pickup, was unlocked in the parking lot of the Bottle Drop. The vehicle’s owner reported that a variety of items, including a flashlight and a fully loaded 9mm pistol, had been stolen from the truck. 

Officers were able to review surveillance footage and identify a suspect who first entered the Bottle Drop, then entered the Ford Ranger through the driver’s side door and took items before leaving the area in a mid-2000s red Kia Spectra. 

An investigation determined that the suspect in the theft was Dakota Jess Tittle, a 27-year-old Bend resident. Tittle is a convicted felon who is not allowed to possess or own a firearm. 

At approximately 1:13 p.m. on March 14, officers saw Tittle’s car in the parking lot of the Westside Tavern in the 900 block of NW Galveston Avenue. As Tittle drove the car out of the parking lot, officers blocked it in and conducted a high-risk traffic stop. Tittle was arrested without incident or injury. 

A firearm believed to be the one stolen from the pickup was found in a backpack in Tittle’s car. Its serial number was scratched off and it had been repainted. The stolen flashlight was also located in the backpack.  

Bend Police would like to remind the public to never leave a parked vehicle unlocked. When parking their vehicles, people should HIDE their belongings, LOCK their vehicles and TAKE their keys with them.