Man’s behavior the talk of Aloha neighborhood

ALOHA, Ore. – An Aloha neighborhood was still talking Monday about the strange man who broke into their homes and tried to steal their cars on Saturday night.

Billy Gean Ryan, 26, is no stranger to Washington County deputies. He has arrests and prison records dating back to his 18th birthday, but what neighbors in an Aloha neighborhood said Ryan did can be best described as bizarre.

“He kind of motioned to roll down the window, and I rolled it down just a little bit,” said Rosalie Hatch. “He told me, ‘Ma’am, step out of the car,’ as he slid his hand into his jacket. And he kind of held it there, and I told him, ‘No,’ and rolled up the window and drove away.”

Hatch said Ryan acted calm and surprised when she ignored his carjacking attempt and drove off.

Other neighbors said Ryan acted strange when they found him in their homes, or demanded car keys. In some cases he offered to buy their cars or pretended he had a gun.

Jason Mercier said he was at a cookout when he heard police sirens in the neighborhood and went to investigate.

“The front door was open,” Mercier said. “He was standing in my dining room looking at the front table, and I confronted him. He walked by me and walked out.”

Neighbors said police were relentless in tracking Ryan down. Now he’s in the Washington County Jail charged with three counts of robbery.

“I was glad that they were on his trail and that they were able to find leads to get him,” said Hatch.

Ryan appeared before a judge on those robbery charges Monday. A criminal background check revealed he had been arrested for assault before.

He was just released from prison two weeks ago for numerous ID theft, forgery, and fraud convictions.