On Saturday, November 19 at approximately 2:20 a.m., Bend Police Officers were checking the area of the South Side Pub attempting to locate a vehicle that had been reported stolen from that business earlier.
The gray 1991 Honda Accord was located parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot. As the officer started to drive up to the vehicle it suddenly left the parking lot at a high rate of speed without any headlights.
The vehicle continued northbound on 3rd at a high rate of speed until it turned left onto Greeley. The vehicle continued west on Greeley eventually striking a building on NE 1st and the suspect fled on foot. Mariano E. Gaucin, 26, of Bend, was located and taken into custody a short time later. He was lodged in the Deschutes County Jail for numerous traffic crimes and unauthorized use of a Motor Vehicle
Based on items located in the vehicle after he fled he was subsequently charged with 29 counts of mail theft for taking mail from mailboxes in the NE Bend and Tumalo area.
He was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Failure to Leave Name and Address at the Scene of a Crash, Reckless Driving, 29 counts of Mail Theft
