EUGENE,
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (KMTR) -- A man allegedly connected to 13 robberies is
Eugene and
Springfield is in custody after a multi-agency investigation.
Eugene Police officers arrested 27-year old transient Derek John Bouchet at the Porky’s Palace Restaurant in north Eugene on Friday, January 20th, 2012, after someone identified him from a police information flyer.
Springfield Police say Bouchet has been on a robbery spree for the last month in both Eugene and Springfield. The spree started on Christmas Day with a robbery at Shari’s on Beltline Road near Gateway Street in Springfield.
From there, police say Bouchet robbed two lottery-based restaurants, Japser’s Deli and Patty’s Deli, and the Staples Office Supply retailer in Springfield.
Eugene Police have connected Bouchet to robberies at Shari’s Restaurant, also three Dutch Brothers coffee stand robberies, two Patty’s Deli robberies, and robberies at Littler Caesar’s Pizza, Office Max and Fred Meyer.
In one robbery, Bouchet allegedly displayed a handgun.
“At some point you know it can move beyond that, if they have the gun, they may not be afraid to use it and at some point, we're going to end up with somebody getting hurt or killed during the course of a robbery and I think we prevented that by doing the footwork, the follow up and then catching this guy,” says Sgt. Dick Jones of the Springfield Police Department.
Police say this case is an example of the successful partnership between Eugene and Springfield’s departments.
Bouchet is charged with 14 counts of robbery, also resisting arrest, meth possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
