A man believed to be responsible for at least $300,000 in retail theft across the metro area is now in jail, facing 16 criminal charges.
Austin Bailey, age 35, was arrested on Tuesday, October 12th by deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, after loss prevention employees in Beaverton recognized Bailey as a known shoplifting suspect and called police. When deputies arrived, Bailey took off running and led deputies on a short foot pursuit before he was taken into custody. Deputies also recovered more than 40 pills suspected of containing fentanyl, meth and heroin from Bailey at the time of his arrest.
Detectives with Tigard Police have been investigating Bailey for nearly a year in connection with several large-scale theft cases from big box stores in the metro area. To date, investigators believe Bailey has stolen at least $300,000 in merchandise from retail stores in Washington, Clackamas, Multnomah and Clark counties.
Organized Retail Theft is a significant issue across the Tigard area, where criminals work together to hit multiple stores in a string of thefts. They often target high-end merchandise that can be stolen quickly, which they later sell for profit.
Detectives with the Tigard Police Commercial Crimes Unit consider Bailey’s arrest to be one of the most significant in recent memory when it comes to retail theft. He was indicted by a grand jury on several theft-related charges in June.
Bailey is in the Washington County Jail charged with 1st-degree aggravated theft x4, 1st-degree theft x6, identity theft and other outstanding warrants.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office believes Bailey is responsible for several open theft cases. The Beaverton Police Department is aware of at least one more case and additional charges against Bailey are likely.
