the Crook County Sheriff's office says a Prineville man who suffered injuries to his hands from being tied up tightly for five hours is home from the local hospital. Undersheriff John Gautney says this is a serious case for Prineville and other areas. He also says it's not a Home Invasion because the suspect and alleged victim knew each other. Here is the Sheriff's Department's full news release from 3:00am Thursday:
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On April 24th, 2013 at about 9:40pm Oregon State Trooper Josh Nagle conducted a traffic stop on HWY 126 E near the intersection of HWY 97 in Redmond. Trooper Nagle stopped a 2008 Jeep Wrangler for driving without headlights and made contact with the driver, Skyler Suchodolski age 20 of Prineville. After the Trooper made contact with the driver he became suspicious of the driver and the contents in the vehicle. Trooper Nagle questioned Suchodolski about the ownership of the vehicle and he told the Trooper he borrowed the car from the owner.
The white 2008 Jeep Wrangler is registered to Leo Novak, age 73 of Prineville. Trooper Nagle observed an empty pistol holster in the vehicle and further questioned Suchodolski about weapons in the car. Trooper Nagle then observed a pistol under the front seat and placed Suchodolski in handcuffs. Trooper Nagle then contacted Crook County dispatch and asked that they send an officer to do a welfare check at Novak's home. Police found him tied to a kitchen chair.
Novak told Officers that he had been bound by Suchodolski nearly five hours earlier after the two of them had sat and visited.
Suchodolski was transported back to the Crook County Jail where he was charged with 1st degree Robbery, 1st degree Kidnapping, 1st degree Burglary, 4 counts of 1st degree Theft, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Coercion, Assault II and menacing. Bail is $215,000 dollars.
Dr. Cook, who was the attending E.R. Dr. at Pioneer Memorial Hospital at the time Novak arrived stated that had Novak not been discovered by the responding officers his hands would most likely have to be amputated if left with the ligatures on much longer.
