Two-state crime rampage leaves many in Oregon town reeling

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Two-state crime rampage leaves many in Oregon town reeling

Andrew Selsky, Associated Press

Updated 4:25 pm, Monday, August 15, 2016

BEND, Oregon (AP) — He had everything going for him: a job and good career path in law enforcement in a scenic Oregon mountain town, the trust of his colleagues, a wife and a house. Then one recent night, police say, he killed a young woman.

Edwin Lara then traveled to the state capital, kidnapped another woman and took her to California, where he shot a man and carjacked a vehicle with three people inside, police allege. After a chase over 100 mph on the main freeway along the West Coast, the California Highway Patrol arrested Lara.

Many people in Bend, where Lara worked, are reeling. A former lumber town at the foot of the Cascade Range, Bend has seen its population more than quadruple over the past 25 years to 87,000. People are drawn by its sunny climate, its hiking, skiing, fishing and cycling opportunities and by its microbreweries.

It is a friendly town, but crime, even homicide, is nothing new. Bend averaged one murder or manslaughter per year since 1985, according to FBI statistics. Police say many were related to domestic violence.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Two-state-crime-rampage-leaves-many-in-Oregon-9143309.php

[Angry Dragon]

1. Bend is a nice town

[7962]

2. 1 homicide per year in a town with 87K is hardly crime ridden.

The article states that "It is a friendly town, but crime, even homicide, is nothing new." Like it happens all the time. Poor writing.

[Igel]

3. Bend's split.

It's been the subject of a case study or two on culture, socio-economic status, poverty, that sort of thing. It's good for this because it's over 90% white, with more Asians than blacks, Latinos under 10%. If you find an effect that might be attibutable to racism or SES in another city (without building in race as part of SES), it's not racism. This lets you see the effect of SES and race separately without ruffling feathers.

Can't do that in Houston, for example. If you find an effect dinging mostly blacks, you must assume it's because they're black and somehow it's the effects of racism. Even the findings from places like Bend are hard to apply to Houston not because it can't be but because it mustn't be.

Otherwise Bend is a very nice town. I liked visiting it every couple of years.

[glennward]

4. My guess: Drugs...not pot. nt

[Javaman]

5. my first thought as well...

drug deal gone very bad. then it was just a cascade of one really bad decision after another.