HILLSBORO, ORE.- On June 15, 2020, Caden Joseph Hall pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery. Judge Rebecca Guptill then sentenced Mr. Hall to 55 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case against the defendant.

On April 22, 2020, the defendant went to a Beaverton, Oregon Fred Meyer location with the intent to commit theft. A loss prevention officer immediately recognized the defendant as the same person who stole items from the store just two days earlier. She identified herself as a store employee and ordered Mr. Hall to leave the building. The defendant then made a threatening comment that he had a knife and proceeded to use a tool to cut a security cable on a portable speaker and left the store without paying for the item.

The loss prevention officer followed the defendant to the parking lot where she was able to flag down a Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy. The deputy then confronted Mr. Hall and found he had several items hidden in his clothing including the stolen speaker. Mr. Hall admitted the speaker was stolen but told the deputy he believed he could not be arrested due to the nature of the crime and the ongoing crisis surrounding COVID-19. He was in fact arrested and lodged at the Washington County Jail.

Investigators then linked the defendant to two additional theft cases committed during Governor Kate Brown’s state of emergency declaration. The defendant has a history of other property crimes including theft, robbery, and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office is dedicated to protecting our community and its businesses, especially as COVID-19 continues to present a hardship to companies large and small. In early May, District Attorney Kevin Barton issued this statement alerting the public to concerns that criminals may be looking to take advantage of the crisis. This office hopes this case serves as a reminder that offenders will be held accountable for their actions.

This office would like to acknowledge the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in apprehending Mr. Hall.

In addition to his prison sentence, Mr. Hall was also ordered to undergo three years of post-prison supervision upon his release. He will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.