Suspect sought for arrest
(Photo courtesy BONNER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE) A John Deere skidder similar to the one depicted here was stolen from a job site near Priest River on Aug. 9.
SANDPOINT — A Bonner County man implicated in the theft of a pricey John Deere skidder has apparently gone on the lam.
Cody James Sorenson was a no-show at his pretrial hearing on Dec. 21 in 1st District Court, prompting Judge Barbara Buchanan to issue a $40,000 arrest warrant from the bench, court records show.
Sorenson’s counsel, Deputy Public Defender Luke Hagelberg, was unable to explain his client’s absence and advised the court that his office received a voicemail indicating that he was unable to appear in court but did not elaborate.
Sorenson, 18, was charged with grand theft in connection the theft of a John Deere model 648 GIII logging skidder that was taken from a logging site northeast of Priest River on Aug. 9.The piece of heavy equipment had an estimated value of $130,000, according to court documents.
Tracks leading from the logging site were discovered in the dirt, although they ended at the pavement of Eastside Road. A search of side roads yielded no additional tracks, a probable cause affidavit said.
The signature-green skidder, however, cut a conspicuous figure on the night it was stolen, according to court documents. Several people told authorities on Aug. 10 that they spotted the piece of equipment being driven through the cities of Priest River and Newport.
The skidder was ultimately located in the 1600 block of Deer Valley Road in Pend Oreille County on property belonging to Sorenson’s grandmother, the affidavit said.
The skidder’s owner, meanwhile, learned that Sorenson had been talking with an auto-repair business in Oldtown about purchasing the piece of equipment, according to the affidavit. Sorenson had also allegedly stated that he was working with the owner to return it and avoid prosecution, which the owner denied.
Sorenson was confronted about the theft at his residence north of town and he admitted to taking the skidder and driving it 22 miles from the job site to his grandmother’s place, court documents indicate. Sorenson was at a loss to explain the theft, but told deputies he enjoyed running heavy equipment and was drunk at the time of the theft.
A preliminary hearing on the felony charge is scheduled for Sept. 5.
Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.