BROWNSVILLE, Ore. – A 44-year-old Lebanon man was arrested on Friday night for allegedly throwing a bicycle into a vehicle on Brownsville Road before reportedly setting harvested hay in a field on fire, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
LCSO officials said deputies responded at 11:15 p.m. on July 18 to a report of a man behaving in a disorderly manner in the Brownsville area. The suspect, identified as Kenneth Helfrich, was reportedly walking in the middle of Brownsville Road, striking and causing damage to vehicles with rocks, sheriff’s officials said. Authorities said multiple callers complained about the Helfrich’s behavior and at one point Helfrich allegedly threw a bicycle into a vehicle before running into a field near the intersection of Brownsville Road and Harrison Road. Helfrich allegedly set some harvested hay on fire before running further into the field, sheriff’s officials said. While the Brownsville Rural Fire Protection District extinguished the fire, deputies, Oregon State Police troopers, a Corvallis Police Department K9 unit, and Albany Police Department drone unit conducted a search and ultimately found Helfrich hiding in the nearby field.
Helfrich was arrested and transported to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office where he faces charges that include unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal trespassing, reckless endangering, giving false information to a police officer, and multiple warrants. Additional charges related to the fire are expected to be filed, sheriff’s officials said. Jail records show Helfrich is in custody as of July 21…