Brazen Thief Miscalculates at O'Reilly Auto in TD; Employee makes the right call

By Tom Peterson

A bold thief entered O’Reilly Auto Parts on Tuesday Night, March 14, near closing time - 9 p.m.- to do some quick shopping. 

From the thief’s comments, he thought the theft of parts and tools was going to be easy. 

He told an employee, “There is nothing you can do about it.”

O’Reilly Auto Parts specialist Zach Manuel thought differently. 

 “He was a weird character,” Manuel said today, March 15. “He came in a half hour before close and he was moseying around and kind of being weird. It caught my attention and I thought he was going going to run.”

Manuel messaged a coworker to alert him to the situation, but by the time the text was sent, the thief had bolted. 

Manuel followed him out of the store, keeping a visual of his location. 

“He was trying to get items out of the packages and put them in his pockets,” Manuel said, noting the man dropped several different store products. 

The thief ran west down the street while Manuel kept himself at a safe distance while in contact with a 911 dispatcher who relayed the thief’s location to police.

Police eventually caught the man near Pacer Propane on West Second Street. 

They arrested and handcuffed Rythem Lovener, 39, who was then transported to NORCOR jail in West The Dalles. 

Manuel said the thief took led lights, knives, a torch and other items of which they have yet to account for. 

Manuel said it was the fourth theft he had experienced since starting at the store in November, and the brazenness of this thief was surprising.   

“He told me, ‘there is nothing You can do,’” Manuel said.  “I told him ‘I am on the phone with the cops and I know which way you're going.’”

If it seems that property crimes are increasing, you’re right. Check out our report on case statistics in Wasco County on our home page. DA Matthew Ellis gives CCCNews his midterm report.