Portland Restaurant Owners, Police Attempting to Catch Serial Dine-And-Dasher

Seventeen local bar and restaurant owners say the man ate or drank and their establishment and left the tab.

Cascade Brewing (Matt Wong)

A serial dine-and-dasher has allegedly racked up over $1,000 in unpaid tabs at local bars and restaurants, KGW first reported.

After a patron repeatedly ate and left without paying, C Bar owner Jeramiah Smith reached out to Portland's restaurant industry on Facebook and, as he told KGW, "it just blew up."

Smith says C Bar's security cameras caught the suspect dining and dashing three times.

"He enjoyed a meal then left his jacket and dummy phone on the bar like he was going to be back to pay," Smith told KGW. "Then he skipped out the back door.

At least 17 other restaurant owners, including Grant Ritchie, general manager of Cascade Brewing Barrel House, recognized the security camera photo of the suspect.

Ritchie alleged in a police report that the dine-and-dasher patronized the Barrel House twice, and left $91 in unpaid tabs. The second time, Ritchie claims, staff chased the man out and asked him to pay but he told them he had no money.

"I asked him, 'Do you have problem? Why are you screwing over hardworking people?'" Ritchie told KGW. "And he didn't really have an answer for that."

According to Portland Police spokesman Chris Burley, officers are conducting an investigation into the matter. Last week, the suspect was charged a misdemeanor theft of services but let go.

Restaurant and bar owners—now at least 17—continue to come forward with claims of being stiffed by the serial dasher. Combined into one case, Burley says, the alleged $1,000 in unpaid tabs could mean a felony charge for the suspect.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to call the police non-emergency line.  

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