Stolen Lincoln County transit bus recovered

On April 28, 2024 at about 1148 hours, Newport Officers responded to the Lincoln County fuel pumps for a report of a stolen Lincoln County transit bus.

Officers spoke to a transit bus driver who advised they had parked at the Lincoln County fuel pumps and went inside to use the bathroom. The bus driver stated when they came out of the bathroom, the bus was gone. Newport Police, with the assistance of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, began checking the area for the stolen bus.

It was learned the driver had left their cell phone inside the bus when it was stolen. It was determined through the tracking software in the phone that the phone was located in the 300 block of SE 2nd St. in Newport. Officers responded to that area and located the bus parked in a residential driveway. Officers canvased the area but did not located a suspect. Lincoln County Transit arrived and retrieved the bus, which was not damaged.

Security footage from inside the bus showed the suspect getting into the driver seat and driving the bus away from the fueling center. The male stops the bus where it was located in the 300 block of SE 2nd Street and flees on foot.

The suspect is described as a white male wearing a "RIP CITY" hoodie with the hood up, a hat, and red beard. The male appears to have tattoos on his hands and was wearing sunglass.

The incident remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding this case, contact Officer Nieto of the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348. The Newport Police Tip Line is available at 541-574-5455, or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856 or tipline@newportpolice.net.