Eugene police recover stolen vehicle within an hour using license plate reader system

Eugene, OR – Eugene police recovered a stolen vehicle within an hour on Tuesday evening after using the automated license plate reader system to track it.

At 6:29 p.m. on September 10, officers responded to the 4700 block of Royal Avenue, where a 39-year-old woman reported her Nissan Sentra had been stolen from a parking lot while she was at work.

After gathering details about the vehicle and suspect, officers searched the license plate reader system and determined the car had last been seen in the West 11th area.

Around 7:15 p.m., officers located the vehicle at 4550 West 11th Avenue. Though it was initially unoccupied, officers soon observed a man, later identified as 29-year-old Jesse Christopher Canavan, entering the vehicle.

After an investigation, Canavan was arrested and taken to the Lane County Jail on charges of unlawful use of a vehicle, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, and on outstanding warrants.

The vehicle was recovered and returned to the owner.