The Overleaf Lodge in Yachats is offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of a man who stole a small safe from its office Dec. 28.
There was no cash or other valuables in the safe, said Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Doug Honse, but it did contain master keys for the Overleaf and other buildings. The motel is now having to re-key all of its doors, Honse said.
Security cameras show a man walking out of the motel office with the safe between 12:30-1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28. In the reward offer, motel manager Heather Tichner described him as wearing a black and gray Adidas sweatshirt, gray sweat pants, Nike sandals and a Seattle Mariner baseball hat.
Honse said the safe was pried out from behind the front desk. The burglar went through other desk drawers and tried unsuccessfully to get into a lockbox used to safeguard guest valuables, Honse said.
Honse said it appears the thief used a motel master key or key fob to enter the locked door to the motel lobby and office. Overleaf managers are doing an inventory of their master keys and one key may be unaccounted for, the deputy said Monday.
“This appears to be somewhat of an inside job,” Honse said, either by a former employee or an acquaintance.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 541-265-4277 ext. 7118 and refer to case No. 20S-02945.
