Redmond, OR – Deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to a highly unusual call Monday night after reports that a man was threatening to crush a vehicle with a tractor near NW Norse Way, just outside Redmond.
According to the sheriff’s office, dispatchers received the report around 7:53 p.m. on December 8. Moments later, the caller confirmed the threat had turned into reality as the suspect allegedly rammed the vehicle with a massive piece of heavy machinery.
Deputies soon located a CAT 980M front loader traveling near NW 35th Street and NW Upas Avenue. A traffic stop was conducted, and 36-year-old Blake Mogan of Redmond was taken into custody without incident.
Investigators say Mogan admitted to stealing the loader, valued at more than $750,000, from a nearby construction site. The vehicle sustained minimal damage and was safely returned to its owner.
Mogan faces several charges, including Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Theft in the First Degree, and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree.
Deputies called the situation “a rare one,” noting that it’s not every day a 70-ton front loader is stopped during a traffic incident in Central Oregon.
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