CANBY, Ore. (KLAS) — Homeowners in Oregon evacuation zones are now worried about their belongings being stolen while they are not home.
The sheriff’s office says calls for service have exploded in level two and three evacuation zones — mostly to report suspicious cars, people, and concerns about burglaries.
8 News Now spoke to a family who says their home was looted after they had to evacuate from Estacada.
The Patterson family left their home on Tuesday as evacuation levels were increasing.
On Friday morning, they got a notification from their alarm system saying someone went inside the home. Video of the aftermath shows red bull cans thrown around the kitchen, dog food everywhere, and many items missing.
Chuck Patterson says over 60 necklaces and 100 pairs of his wife’s earrings were stolen. Much of it was passed down by family members, some were from Patterson himself, as they were dating in high school.
Patterson says his wife is devastated, and he is furious.
“Why do you think you need to go into someone’s house when they’ve been evacuated because their house might catch fire,” Patterson said. “Who gives you the right to walk into somebody’s house and do that? Whoever did it, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
Patterson shared these videos and photos taken from his doorbell camera.
The family says they found knives around the house, and a bb gun sitting outside as well.
The family is asking anyone with information to contact the police.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says it will be increasing patrols in level two and three evacuation zones to keep businesses and properties safe.
Both the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police are here to assist them. From Tuesday to Thursday deputies responded to nearly 330 calls for suspicious activity, that’s a 405 percent increase from the days before.
