PORTLAND, Oregon — A Portland man helped to recover a truckload of stolen valuables belonging to him and several neighbors — including his custom-made Dark Knight Batman suit.
The thefts happened in the early morning hours of April 29. Thieves broke into several storage units at the Terrazzo Condominiums near Southeast 20th and Division in Portland.
“I thought immediately, they can't get away with that,” said Bruce Lawson, who had belongings in one of the storage units. “It's just stuff — but it's such an invasion.”
It was Lawson's Batman suit that the dastardly brigands had snatched. He wears it to charity events and hospital visits to cheer up sick kids. The thieves also stole Lawson’s bicycle.
Later that same evening, near Southeast 26th and Ash, police responded to a stolen box truck that crashed and hit two people, critically injuring one of them. The suspects ran off and ditched the truck. Lawson saw the news story which showed the inside of the box truck. The photo was blurry, but Lawson recognized what he thought was his stolen bike inside the truck.
“I knew that was my bike ... and if that was my bike, the suit had to be there as well,” said Lawson. “In that truck, all eight units that had been hit, all of our stuff was still there.”
The Portland Police Bureau reunited the stolen items with their owners.
Lawson wishes that were end of the story, but on May 14, crooks returned to his condominium building. Between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. that morning, they broke into other storage units, stealing a neighbor’s bass guitar and camping gear. But this time, some new security cameras caught them in action.
Lawson hopes that anyone who recognizes the suspects or comes across the newly stolen items will call police.
“I think we just really need to watch out for each other,” said Lawson. “Don't be afraid to say something. If you see something, say something.”
