December 18, 2007
By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer

The county’s second armed robbery in as many weeks occurred Friday about midnight at Mitchell Point.

Hood River County Sheriff Detective Gerry Tiffany said a lone male gunman appears to be working in the Columbia Gorge along Interstate 84.

In addition to the Hood River Charburger Restaurant robbery on Dec. 9, Tiffany said there have been similar incidents in recent weeks at Vista House near Corbett, a business in Rufus, and a park in The Dalles.

“It’s possible that these crimes are being committed by the same individual but a link has yet to be established,” said Tiffany.

In the latest incident, the suspect approached a vehicle parked at the Mitchell Point overlook near milepost 58. Two men from Portland were inside the car and ordered by the robber, who was brandishing a handgun, to turn over their wallets and cell phones.

Tiffany said the victims were both threatened with physical harm if they did not supply the personal identification numbers on their debit and credit cards. The two men complied with that request and have been directed by law enforcement officials to take precautions to avoid identity theft and/or having their bank accounts cleaned out.

The robber was wearing a black mask, a black hooded sweatshirt and both dark pants and shoes. The same clothing was described by victims in the other four incidents.

The suspect in all of these cases stands between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall with brown eyes and has a slight Hispanic accent. He left the scene of the latest heist in a white car that is believe to be a foreign import, such as a Honda or Toyota.

An armed robber surprised three employees just after closing time at Charburger on Dec. 9. The man slipped unseen through an unlocked back door and into the kitchen of the business about 8:40 p.m.

He then ordered the chef and other workers to lie on the floor and cleaned out both the cash register and their wallets and purses. He took their cell phones and smashed the business phone against the wall before leaving about 10 minutes later.

Tiffany said no one has been injured in either local robbery. He asks that residents living or working along the freeway take extra precautions to keep their doors locked. He also advises that people not stop at rest areas along I-84 after dark for the time being.

This week, Tiffany met with other Mid-Columbia law enforcement officials to address the problem. He urges anyone who observes suspicious activity at night to call the Hood River non-emergency dispatch line at 386-2711 or his office during working hours at 387-6846.