Deschutes County Sheriff's Office cruiser

Sheriff’s deputies busted up a burglary in-progress in La Pine on Friday evening with the help of a police dog and state police. 

Shortly after 7 p.m., the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary in progress in the 51000 block of Ash Road in La Pine, Joshua Barker, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said in a news release. Deputies saw multiple people inside a house taking items to a car in the driveway.

Deputies and Oregon State Police troopers stationed themselves around the property. They caught 30-year-old Kameron Johnathan Michael of La Pine as he was trying to drive away from the house, police said. 

Police made announcements attempting to draw the remaining two suspects out of the house to no avail. Deputies breached the front door and arrested a second man, 42-year-old Joseph Beau Fitch of La Pine, police said. 

After announcements to draw out the third person still in the house, a police dog, Vinnie, was sent inside. Ruth Ellen Michael, 48, of La Pine was hiding under a pile of clothes when she was captured and bitten by Vinnie, police said.

Ruth Ellen Michael was evaluated by medical personnel for the bite, and all three were taken to the Deschutes County jail.

All three remained in jail Monday morning awaiting arraignment in Deschutes County Circuit Court. All three were charged with first-degree criminal trespass, according to court records.