Two people arrested for attempted break-in into a police car

LANE COUNTY, Oregon — Two people were arrested Wednesday morning after attempting to break into an empty police car in Lane County, according to the county sheriff's office.

The Lane County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) reported that detectives from the department were working in the River Road area on the morning of August 13, 2024 and were not in their undercover police vehicle.

According to LCSO, another detective was sitting in his own car next to the unoccupied police vehicle and noticed two people who appeared to be scouting the cars in the parking lot.

One of the people, identified as Melissa Marie Jones, 42, produced a key and attempted to open a door of the unoccupied police vehicle while the second person, Trinidad Robert Perez, Jr., 61, apparently acted as a guard.

According to LCSO, both Jones and Perez were subsequently arrested and identified.

After further investigation, both Jones and Perez were arrested for unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle.

Jones was also arrested on an out-of-state warrant for fugitive from justice, and Perez was also charged with failure to register as a sex offender. Both were lodged in the Lane County Jail.