By Jim Ryan
The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities are asking for help finding an inmate who escaped from Multnomah County custody and has been on the loose for almost 24 hours.
Scott M. Smith stole an Oregon Department of Transportation truck while working as part of a cleanup crew Thursday in Northeast Portland, according to the county Sheriff’s Office. The truck “was reportedly left unlocked and running at the time of the theft,” the agency said.
Smith, a 25-year-old Portland resident, is accused of stealing the truck from the 9400 block of Hancock Drive early Thursday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities found the truck outside a home Smith is associated with on Northeast 52nd Avenue, according to a Sheriff’s Office spokesman. They searched the home but didn’t find him.
He was last seen wearing a green jacket, tan Carhartt pants and black work boots, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He’s 6-foot-1 and 150 lbs., and he has brown hair and blue eyes. He has tattoos, including some on his neck.
Records show Smith was booked into Multnomah County custody in January. The Sheriff’s Office said he was serving a 90-day parole violation sanction in an identity theft case.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon is offering a reward for information reported to the nonprofit that leads to an arrest in the case. Crime Stoppers didn’t specify the amount, but a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said the nonprofit usually offers an amount up to $1,000 in cases that aren’t homicides.
Smith’s projected release date is listed in jail records as April 21.
The Sheriff’s Office advises anyone who sees Smith or has information about his location to call 911. People shouldn’t approach him, the agency said.
©2018 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)