Man tied to crime spree arrested in Lake Oswego

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. - A man tied to at least 50 crimes in the past three weeks was arrested Saturday after a police chase in Lake Oswego.

Nick Vern Lewis, 28, was lodged in the Clackamas County jail. Authorities did not immediately specify what criminal charges he is facing.

Police said Lewis committed dozens of thefts in the Portland area before taking a "crime vacation" on the coast. Surveillance video shows Lewis trying to buy tires at a Les Schwab in Sandy using a stolen credit card and forged check.

Police said the tires were for a $22,000 BMW that Lewis bought three days earlier using documents stolen in a car prowl. The BMW was recovered two days ago in Lincoln City.

Police believe Lewis returned to the Portland area and began responding to advertisements for BMWs for sale, taking test drives of the vehicles. In one case, he was allowed to test drive a BMW without the owner and police said he stole it.

Then on Saturday morning, a Lake Oswego resident returned to his home near the intersection of South Shore Boulevard and McVey Avenue about 10 a.m. and found an intruder in his garage loading a stolen BMW with various items, police said.

The thief fled in the BMW, which police spotted and chased until it crashed at Southwest Jean Road and Pilkington Road.

The thief ran away but officers eventually captured him in a marshy pond area near the intersection of Boones Ferry Road and Southwest Jean Road about 10:30 a.m. Police identified the man as Lewis.