A 54-year-old man is in custody after attempting to steal a car, breaking into at least one home and evading arrest for several hours. 

On Monday, April 1, 2024, shortly after 10:30 a.m., Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) responded to a call of a man attempting to steal someone’s car in the 23000 block of NE Arata Road in Wood Village. The suspect ran away before deputies arrived. Deputies established a perimeter and began searching for the suspect. The suspect, described as an adult male, ran through multiple yards, and even ran through at least one home, in an attempt to escape. Throughout the duration of the call, multiple neighbors reported seeing the suspect in the area. MCSO received assistance from the Gresham Police Department, which launched a drone to search from above, and a Portland Police Bureau K9 team, to assist deputies on the ground. After nearly two hours of searching, deputies reduced search efforts, but kept deputies in the area to maintain a visible presence.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., a resident reported to deputies that they returned home and found their back door had been forcibly opened. Deputies searched the residence, found the suspect hiding in the home’s garage and took him into custody. 

The suspect is identified as 54-year-old David Aldis Knight. He was booked into jail on multiple offenses including unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, burglary and trespass.  A complete list of charges can be found here.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Gresham Police Department and Portland Police Bureau for their assistance on this call.