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Because of two Oregon Court of Appeals rulings in 2014 and 2015, people who steal cars off of Portland's streets are often released without ever going to trial.
Our cover story: In Portland, you can steal cars over and over—and get away with it. Here's how.
WW analyzed a year's worth of data on how many people Portland police arrested between August 2016 and September 2017. These are the city's most prolific alleged car thieves this year.
Jordan Chambers
Age: 32
Alleged car thefts since August 2016: 5
Charges dropped: Three times
Time served: None
Most recent case: Police encountered Chambers in stolen vehicles four times in one week before they arrested him. In one July 28 incident, he started awake in the driver's seat of a Ford Ranger and hit the accelerator, clipping a police officer on the elbow as he sped away. He was arrested four days later on foot along Northeast 72nd Avenue.
After being released on pretrial supervision, Chambers was arrested again Aug. 28 after a similar string of car thefts. During that spree, he allegedly stole trailers from a U-Haul lot, cut the catalytic convertor from a stolen car, nabbed a Water Bureau truck with a "City of Portland Water Bureau" jacket inside, and siphoned gas from a Toyota 4Runner. Officers arrested him with a trailer filled with stolen goods.
David Dahlen
Age: 21
Alleged car thefts since August 2016: 7
Charges dropped: Twice
Time served: None
Recent cases: Dahlen allegedly punched out the ignition cylinder and wrecked the wiring in an attempt to steal a Chevrolet Suburban on March 5. The owner caught him in the SUV and pulled him out. Dahlen ran away.
Five days later, Dahlen drove a white Nissan through a Safeway parking lot in Gresham. Two Gresham police officers sitting in the parking lot ran the plate, and it came back stolen. They pulled Dahlen over and asked him if he knew the car was hot. Dahlen said he had borrowed the vehicle from a friend named Anthony.
Did he know Anthony had stolen the car? "No, I asked him and he even showed me the title," Dahlen said, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in his court case.
While awaiting trial on several car theft charges, Dahlen was arrested in another stolen vehicle Sept. 15.
Guy Edward Snook III
Age: 25
Alleged car thefts since August 2016: 4
Charges dropped: Once
Time served: None
Recent cases: On the evening of March 4, Portland police Officer Heidi Kreis followed a dark green Acura Integra up Southeast 82nd Avenue, preparing to pull the car over. Before she could turn on her flashing lights, the Acura crashed into the driver's side door of a Toyota.
Snook, who was driving the Acura, did not stop. Kreis let the car go and went back to the scene of the crash. Meanwhile, Snook collided head-on with a Honda in the intersection of Southeast 80th Avenue and Powell Boulevard.
Snook fled on foot. He left a shaved key to a Subaru jammed in the ignition of the Acura.
Ten days later, another Portland police officer found Snook sleeping in a 1996 Acura TL that had been reported stolen that morning. A set of shaved keys were in the ignition and had been used to start the car, according to court records.
On March 27, he tried to sell a stolen 2001 Dodge Ram for $2,000. Both cases are still open. On July 6, Snook was picked up again on charges of stealing a vehicle—but this time prosecutors dropped the charges.
Jake Taylor Williams
Age: 32
Alleged car thefts since August 2016: 4
Charges dropped: Three times
Time served: None
Most recent case: On Aug. 13, a Portland police officer spotted Williams slumped behind the wheel of a stolen car. Officers parked their cars at the hood and rear bumper of the car. Two officers woke Williams and asked him to turn the engine off.
"OK," he replied, according to court records.
Instead, he shifted into reverse and slammed into the patrol car parked behind him, then he put the car in drive and rammed the car in front. Williams then sped away, led officers on a chase and was arrested in a nearby apartment complex. When officers inspected the car, they found "dozens of syringes, multiple backpacks and purses, a flat-screen TV, and the ID and personal identifying information of several different people."
Williams pleaded not guilty and faces a court trial.
Micailyn Williams
Age: 23
Alleged car thefts since August 2016: 7
Charges dropped: Four times
Time served: 2.5 months
Most recent case: Williams (no relation to Jake Taylor Williams) was arrested Aug. 20 in a 1996 Honda Civic on Southeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard. Police records say she had a key ring with 69 different keys, all belonging to different vehicles—they were all shaved or modified in some way. She allegedly told the officers who stopped her that she had bought the Civic for $400 from her "good friend Travis."
When officers asked if she could give them Travis' last name, she hung her head.
"I should have known better," she said. "I am trying to be good and have not been stealing cars lately."