Orchardist forms search party Stolen pickup found within 36 hours

Orchardist Dick Reed of Hood River is singing the praises of the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, but even more so of his former foreman, Jose Valdez.

The 74-year-old owner of Wy’East Vineyards had his 2009 Chevrolet Silverado LT 1-Ton stolen either late Wednesday or early Thursday, March 23.

It was parked 100 yards from his house next to his barn off Highway 35 near Pine Grove when a scofflaw bolted with the rig.

“I talked to my employees and my ex-employees and asked them to let us know if they saw the truck around,” Reed said on Monday morning.

His former foreman Jose Valdez called Reed on Saturday. His brother had spotted the pickup in a parking lot next to the railroad tracks in Mosier.

“I was at Ernie’s Locks & Keys in The Dalles getting a bunch of locks changed on Saturday morning,” he said of when Valdez called him. Reed called 911, and Valdez stood by, ensuring no one showed up to take the midnight blue one-ton until deputies could arrive.

Several officers responded, but no arrests were made. However, evidence was seized that may lead to the malenthrope’s capture.

A similar pickup would cost $60,000 to $70,000 new, Reed said.

“It’s nice to have it back. After I filed the police report I said, ‘we’ll never see that truck again.’”

Deviants scratched one side of the vehicle and damaged both bumpers, Reed said, noting the estimate for repairs is $3,000.

That stinks.

“It smelled terrible… like rotten food,” Reed said of the cab. So, he parked it with the windows down overnight to release the air demons.

“All these years we have had things stolen,” Reed said of operating their vineyard and pear orchard. “I’d like to catch them once, and get it out of my system. I used to be a defensive end at the University of Tennessee. I don’t want to kill them, just break a few bones.”