Two-state crime rampage leaves many in Oregon town reeling
GREG BARNETTE/THE RECORD SEARCHLIGHT VIA AP, FILE
In this July 29, 2016, file photo, Edwin Lara, a security guard at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Ore., waits in court in Yreka, Calif., for his arraignment. The murder of Kaylee Sawyer, from Bend, Ore., followed by a string of other crimes leading from Oregon through California allegedly committed by Lara has the scenic mountain town or Bend, Ore., deeply shaken.
BEND, Oregon » He had everything going for him: a job and good career path in law enforcement in a scenic Oregon mountain town, the trust of his colleagues, a wife and a house. Then one recent night, police say, he killed a young woman.
Edwin Lara then traveled to the state capital, kidnapped another woman and took her to California, where he shot a man and carjacked a vehicle with three people inside, police allege. After a chase over 100 mph on the main freeway along the West Coast, the California Highway Patrol arrested Lara.
Many people in Bend, where Lara worked, are reeling. A former lumber town at the foot of the Cascade Range, Bend has seen its population more than quadruple over the past 25 years to 87,000. People are drawn by its sunny climate, its hiking, skiing, fishing and cycling opportunities and by its microbreweries.
It is a friendly town, but crime, even homicide, is nothing new. Bend averaged one murder or manslaughter per year since 1985, according to FBI statistics. Police say many were related to domestic violence.
There is no indication Lara knew the young woman he is charged with killing. Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel announced Monday that a grand jury charged Lara with four counts of aggravated murder, alleging that “Lara kidnapped Kaylee Sawyer, then he attempted to sexual assault her, and then he killed her to conceal the commission of the crimes.”
What many here find particularly disturbing are the accounts of an average resident going off the rails so completely. Lara was a public safety officer at Central Oregon Community College in Bend. His wife is a police officer.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
“This is such a hit on so many levels,” said Aimee Metcalf, assistant director of college relations. “We always felt safe here, but when something like this happens, it hits everyone in their core. Even more distressing is that a campus safety officer was involved.”
A local newspaper, The Source Weekly, asked in a full-page article: “What prompted his alleged crime spree?” So far, there are no answers.
On July 24, soon after midnight, Sawyer went for a walk after arguing with her boyfriend. They lived on the edge of the community college campus, which is shaded by tall ponderosas and boasts mountain views. Lara, uniformed and equipped with pepper spray, handcuffs and a ballistics vest, was working that night on a shift to end at 2 a.m., James Bennett, interim director of campus public safety, said in an interview.
The next day, Lara’s wife, Isabel Ponce-Lara, noticed that Lara was “acting out of the ordinary,” according to a statement she made to police in their hometown of Redmond, just north of Bend.
Ponce-Lara, who recently became a Bend police officer, told Redmond investigators she confronted her husband and that he broke down and told her he struck Sawyer with his patrol vehicle, killing her, and then panicked and hid the body.
Ponce-Lara said after Lara broke down, he grabbed his 9 mm Glock pistol and fled. Sawyer’s body was later found in a canyon about 8 miles west of Redmond.
Hummel rejects Lara’s account. Hummel indicated to The Associated Press he has evidence to support the charges but cannot discuss it. The Deschutes County Circuit Court on Thursday sharply limited what lawyers can say about the case.
Lara’s lead attorney, Benjamin Kim, told the AP on Monday that “under the confines of the court order, we really cannot comment.”
In Salem, 130 miles from Bend, Lara is accused of taking 19-year-old Aundreah Maes at gunpoint after she got off work at a clothing store and drove with her to Yreka, California.
On July 26, police say Lara shot a man at a motel in that former gold-mining town, critically wounding him, and then carjacked a vehicle at a gas station with a woman and her two sons inside. He released them along Interstate 5 before being pulled over by the highway patrol.
In addition to the aggravated murder charges in Oregon, Lara is charged in California with attempted murder, kidnapping, carjacking and other offenses.
Many of the tenants at Awbrey Pines apartments, where Sawyer lived, are students and have been shaken by the killing, said Kim Ritchie, a manager for the firm that owns the complex. Parents have expressed concern.
“There’s definitely a change in the vibe,” Ritchie said. “This is a reminder for people to be aware of their surroundings and follow safe practices.”
Lara, 31, first served as a cadet with campus security while earning his associate degree in criminal justice at Central Oregon Community College, said Bennett, the head of campus public safety. He was later hired at an hourly wage and was on track to becoming a full employee.
“I can’t look into his mind and see what might have made him snap,” Bennett said. “All I can do is look into his history.”
But no answers are there. Lara passed a background investigation before being hired.
“He was a quality candidate,” Bennett said.
Bennett feels Lara betrayed his colleagues and profession, and it weighs heavily on him.
“This is one of the most difficult moments of my life,” Bennett said. “Our hearts go out to Kaylee’s family.”
Hummel said he’ll meet with the family before deciding whether to seek the death penalty.
27 responses to “Two-state crime rampage leaves many in Oregon town reeling”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
A college campus police is like a kid in a candy shop. Oodles of cuties around, a virile young officer, a scenario for a “B” class movie!
Looks like something was stewing in head for awhile and it was just a matter of time before he just snapped.
likely..yes.
immigrant gone bad
SA is not allowed to say “illegal immigrant” or “anchor baby” born to illegal immigrant parents because Obama and the future overlord HilLIARy calls this DIVERSITY!
So how’s that DIVERSITY working out for you California?! haaaaaaaaa
Where did it refer to his immigration status or background? And what does California have to do with this story?
He committed crimes in CA also and will be tried in CA courts.
Dragon, what does California’s “diversity” have to do with someone that was an Oregon resident? Yes, he committed crimes there, but that has nothing to do with any California policies, even if we were to assume he was illegal.
Agree with btaim…plus Lara is an Oregon resident. Your thought is what, a single race America?
advertiser1, you’re an imbecile playing the race card as usual. I was referring to illegals and you’re calling me a racist which I happen to not be one.
I don’t think there is a report yet on Lara’s status, whether illegal or not. However, what does being illegal have to do with committing this kind of crime?
advertiser1, just admit that you’re a traitor living in the US due to your support for illegal aliens whom happen to be criminals under US Laws and then you pull the racist card out when citizens try to address the issue when no race was even used to address the issue.
The People’s Socialist Republic of California is predominantly a sanctuary state. What does being illegal or and anchor baby to illegals mean? It means that YOU support criminals and criminal activities such as these: http://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2015/09/16/san-francisco-crime-records-highlight-deadly-dangers-sanctuary-cities/
Ok, maybe you did only talk about illegals. But, where is your proof that Lara is illegal as you described? And are you saying that all illegals commit crimes, and legals do not? Finally, again, what do California policies have to do with someone who was living in Oregon. He happened to cross the OR/CA border during his rampage, but nothing in the CA statutes could have prevented that. Is that correct or is it not?
advertiser1, reading isn’t your strong point is it? Maybe you should start watching news on TV where they spoon feed you the news. You seem to be injecting statements I never made. Reread my first sentence in the beginning of this discussion thread.
Also, where do you stand on illegal aliens?
I’m also safely assuming that you’ll elude from answering that question as we can safely assume you’re amongst them, that or you’re an anchor baby yourself since you seem to support illegals, specifically the ones from South of the border.
This is your first sentence: SA is not allowed to say “illegal immigrant” or “anchor baby” born to illegal immigrant parents because Obama and the future overlord HilLIARy calls this DIVERSITY!
Now, where is your evidence that he is an illegal or an anchor baby?
And second, here are my questions which you have not answered:
what does being illegal have to do with committing this kind of crime?
And are you saying that all illegals commit crimes, and legals do not? Finally, again, what do California policies have to do with someone who was living in Oregon. He happened to cross the OR/CA border during his rampage, but nothing in the CA statutes could have prevented that. Is that correct or is it not?
Ah, and there’s your south of the border prejudice, you so firmly denied…here is your quote:
that or you’re an anchor baby yourself since you seem to support illegals, specifically the ones from South of the border.
Finally, I am neither an illegal nor a anchor baby. But, whether they are here or not really doesn’t bother me. Many of those, probably very similar to yourself, are undereducated, so they don’t compete for jobs with me, and yes do perform many jobs which need filling. I have known some, and they work hard to make a better life for themselves and their families. They want and work for the American dream more than many of citizens I know. Sure, that group also can have problems, but so did the Irish, and Italians when they immigrated here, legally or not. Most of those problems were due to insecure, uneducated, and prejudiced folks such as yourself.
Advertiser1 – you say “And are you saying that all illegals commit crimes, and legals do not?”. Actually, all illegals have committed at least one crime. “Illegal” means against the law.
advertiser1, there you go injecting falsities again. Not sure why you’re so bitter. I never ever stated what you claim. Maybe English is your second language since you seem to inject falsities I never made. First off, I said you support illegals from South of the border. I guess to you, everyone is a racist whom happens to be against preventing criminals from entering into the US illegally and collecting benefits, which should be only reserved for citizens!
Secondly, your statement here just proves your absolutely naive, that or you’re a complete imbecile to make the following comment: “They want and work for the American dream more than many of citizens I know.” Let me educate you a bit about what happens to the lower class US citizens that didn’t get ahead in life for whatever reason, which happens to directly impact quite a big chunk of the black community. When you introduce 3rd world laborers that live with 15 people in one house, and then they decide to accept wages so low that no same person would work for, of course US citizens won’t be able to compete so they walk away because they refuse to work under the table for less than minimum wage.
Finally, you apparently have no clue that by supporting illegals you’re also paying taxes to support them because they are a net deficit after they pay taxes, if any at all. It’s NOT my responsibility/duty to support in any way shape of form the unwanted due to some 3rd world countries overpopulation issues. If you want to live in a socialist/communist world then you sir should move to North Korea where communism still ensures that everyone is equal.
Life without parole is probably worse than the death penalty as an ex prison guard with a police officer wife will make him the most hated person in the prison system. With his brutal kidnapping and murder, doubt even fellow prison guards will provide protection for him. He always has the option to end his own life with bedsheets rather than facing a prison hell nightmare.
Make him a mandatory organ donor. No use wasting tax dollars on housing and feeding this lowlife.
Nothing in this article said he was a prison guard, but a campus security officer….don’t know where your getting this from…
California gots the death penalty.
California also “gots” 746 inmates on San Quentin’s “Death Row.” (This is about equal to the total number of people executed in California between 1778-2006) There hasn’t been an execution since 2006 and 13 inmates have been executed between 1978-2006. California’s lethal injection policy is currently stuck in the courts. Nationwide, the average time spent on the various death rows is about 15 yrs. This includes inmates in “fair trial, speedy execution” states like Texas.
So does Oregon, but unfortunately neither state has been executing death row inmates in years and the remaining death row inmates will likely die of natural causes before ever being executed.
Nothing in the article says he was an immigran
Edit: “immigrant.”