BEND, OR -- A La Pine man faces numerous charges following a burglary in southeast Bend. Just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, Bend Police responded to a report of a burglary in the 21000 block of Ritz Place. Callers reported people running down the street screaming, and residents of the home reported the suspect had entered through a back door and been in the home for an unknown amount of time. One of the women reported the suspect entered her bedroom, threatened her and her roommates and touched her without her consent.   

They chased the suspect and got into an altercation before he got away. The suspect was described as a white male in his mid-20s, approximately 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, wearing a blue hoodie and a backpack. 

Just over 24 hours later, around 2:56 a.m. Wednesday, a resident of a home in the 1600 block of SE Virginia Road called to report an unknown man was in his backyard looking through his windows. He was not home at the time and was watching the man on his surveillance camera. Police located the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Dakota Willis, and took him into custody.

Police believe Willis was responsible for the January third break-in on Ritz Place, and say he also had an in-state felony warrant. Willis was arrested and booked into the Deschutes County Jail for Burglary I, Harassment, Menacing, Sex Abuse III, Criminal Trespass II and a Felony Warrant

Bend Police ask people who live in the area to check their surveillance cameras for footage from the nighttime hours of January third and fourth to determine whether Willis is associated with any additional crimes. Anyone with information is asked to contact nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 and reference case numbers 2023-00000375 and 2023-0000593.