ST HELENS, OR (KPTV) -
A motion sensor helped St. Helens police arrest a man suspected of stealing an expensive riding mower.
On July 20, officers responded to a complaint that someone had cut a hole in a security fence at Sunset Equipment on Port Avenue in St. Helens.
During the course of the investigation, the officers found a brand new Husqvarna riding lawnmower belonging to Sunset Equipment and valued at $1,700 hidden nearby.
Believing the suspects would return to steal the expensive piece of equipment, the officers attached a motion sensing silent alarm to the mower, which would notify them instantly if it moved.
Just after 2 p.m. July 21, the alarm was tripped and officers returned to Sunset Equipment, where they saw a vehicle leaving the area.
Investigators said the vehicle was towing a small utility trailer with the mower inside.
The officers stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, 34-year-old Wayne McElroy of Gresham. Police said he could not adequately explain his possession of the mower.
McElroy was arrested and booked on charges of first-degree theft, criminal mischief and criminal trespass.
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