In a Wednesday afternoon press release from the desk of Brookings Police Chief Kelby McCrae, early Wednesday morning at approximately 6:30 am, a resident of the gated community at Chetco Point Terrace reported confronting a male individual attempting to enter the residence through the back door.
The male fled, jumping over a fence and into the backyards of another adjacent gated community. Brookings Police Officers and Curry County Sheriff’s Deputies responded and began a search of the suspect.
Upon first responder arrival, officers discovered a green Dodge Durango had at some point in the morning hours crashed into the closed gate at Chetco Point Terrace, causing extensive damage and still at the scene unattended. The vehicle was known to officers to be owned by 40-year-old Brookings resident Michael D. Sanders.
During the investigation, it was determined via Ring doorbell video that the male suspect had first attempted to forcibly open the front door earlier.
After reported sightings of the suspect in the areas between Wharf St. and Tanbark Ln., Officers established a perimeter and Brookings Officer VanZelf and K9 Officer Hulk deployed into the undeveloped areas between neighborhoods.
The K9 team located Sanders in a brushy creek bed directly below a home in a gated community off of Tanbark Ln. When Sanders refused to comply with verbal commands, K9 Hulk engaged. Sanders surrendered immediately after contact and was taken into custody without further incident.
Sanders was medically cleared of any injury related to the K9 bite and was lodged in the Curry County Jail on charges of 1st Degree Criminal Trespass, 1st Degree Criminal Mischief and Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver When Property is Damaged.
