A Drone Accomplice Assists in the Burglary of Two Portland Food Carts, Cart Owners Say

A man suspected of burglarizing food carts was arrested last night after an allegedly drone-aided break-in at a Northeast Portland food cart pod.

Earlier this week, the owners of two carts at NE Killingsworth’s Piedmont Station claim thieves used a drone to help burglarize their carts. According to KOIN, the owners of Hapa Howie’s and PDX Donerland reported burglaries this week, saying the thieves cut the locks and took business checks, change, and other items.

However, Hapa Howie’s owner Kiaha Rasmussen says security footage showed a drone hovering near the lock before the burglar entered. The surveillance video also shows the drone scoping other carts, including the similarly burglarized PDX Donerland truck. Both owners filed police reports.

Christopher T. Behurst was arrested Wednesday in relation to the crimes, but the police are also investigating a new set of food cart burglaries reported yesterday. According to the Oregonian, Behurst is accused of felony theft and burglary.

This year has been rife with food cart crime: Two men broke into the main building of food cart pod Portland Mercado last month, Beaverton police arrested a man burglarizing the BG Food Cartel in June, and a burglary occurred at a Southeast Portland cart in January. Meanwhile, Rasmussen says her cart has been broken into twice in the last six months, and PDX Donerland owner Ron San Pedro says people have broken into his cart three times in the last six months.

Updated October 3, 2019, at 10:43 a.m.
This story was updated to include information about a suspect’s arrest.

• Hapa Howie’s [Facebook]
• PDX Donerland [Facebook]
• Owners: Thieves used drones to burgle food carts [KOIN]
• Man arrested in NE Portland food cart burglaries [The O]
• Two Thieves Tried to Burglarize a Portland Community Center and Food Cart Pod [EPDX]
• Beaverton police arrest man in food cart burglary [Beaverton Valley Times]