Police arrest car break-in suspects on campus, discover marijuana grow
Lauren Dillard
Issue date: 1/29/09 Section: News
Oregon State Police troopers discovered a marijuana grow operation after arresting two men in connecting with car break-ins on campus Wednesday, according to police.
Alvin Toan Pham, 21, and Young Dae Hwang, 25, are both students at Linn-Benton Community College.
"At 7 p.m., we got a call form an [reporting person] who saw some suspicious people in the vicinity of the parking garage," said Lt. Jeff Lanz, Oregon State Police station commander at OSU.
The reporting person saw Pham and Hwang break into one car and attempt to break into another. This person called police and kept Pham and Hwang in sight until Trooper Orly Johnson was able to make contact.
Johnson, who had been investigating break-ins that had occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. on Wednesday, gained permission to search Pham's apartment for stolen property.
Nine total car break-ins were reported early Wednesday morning on the south side of campus. Police ascertained that those nine break-ins occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. Stolen property included a media projector, GPS, car stereos and music CDs.
After searching Pham's apartment in the 500 block of N.W. 19th Street, police found eight small marijuana plants and the equipment associated with manufacturing and distributing marijuana. However, police were unable to prove Pham and Hwangs involvement in the car break-ins that occurred between 2 and 3 a.m.
"During the search we were unable to locate any of the stolen property associated with the earlier break-ins," Lanz said.
According to police, Pham was arrested for unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, attempted unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and unlawful manufacturing and distribution of a controlled substance. Hwang was arrested for unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and attempted unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.
Lanz said that car alarms, which were reported going off on campus at 2 a.m. are good deterrents to crime. He suggested looking out the window if you hear a car alarm.
"Be a good witness," he said. "Secondly, these individuals probably wouldn't have been arrested without the help of the public… Don't hesitate to call in those suspicious people because a lot of times it's the minor tip or the minor call that… leads to a good arrest."
Police are asking that anyone with information about the earlier car break-ins call OSP at (541) 737-3010.
Alvin Toan Pham, 21, and Young Dae Hwang, 25, are both students at Linn-Benton Community College.
"At 7 p.m., we got a call form an [reporting person] who saw some suspicious people in the vicinity of the parking garage," said Lt. Jeff Lanz, Oregon State Police station commander at OSU.
The reporting person saw Pham and Hwang break into one car and attempt to break into another. This person called police and kept Pham and Hwang in sight until Trooper Orly Johnson was able to make contact.
Johnson, who had been investigating break-ins that had occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. on Wednesday, gained permission to search Pham's apartment for stolen property.
Nine total car break-ins were reported early Wednesday morning on the south side of campus. Police ascertained that those nine break-ins occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. Stolen property included a media projector, GPS, car stereos and music CDs.
After searching Pham's apartment in the 500 block of N.W. 19th Street, police found eight small marijuana plants and the equipment associated with manufacturing and distributing marijuana. However, police were unable to prove Pham and Hwangs involvement in the car break-ins that occurred between 2 and 3 a.m.
"During the search we were unable to locate any of the stolen property associated with the earlier break-ins," Lanz said.
According to police, Pham was arrested for unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, attempted unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and unlawful manufacturing and distribution of a controlled substance. Hwang was arrested for unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and attempted unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.
Lanz said that car alarms, which were reported going off on campus at 2 a.m. are good deterrents to crime. He suggested looking out the window if you hear a car alarm.
"Be a good witness," he said. "Secondly, these individuals probably wouldn't have been arrested without the help of the public… Don't hesitate to call in those suspicious people because a lot of times it's the minor tip or the minor call that… leads to a good arrest."
Police are asking that anyone with information about the earlier car break-ins call OSP at (541) 737-3010.
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