Oregon custodian accused in insane utility vehicle theft story involving multiple Gators

A custodian contracted to work for the Oregon athletics department allegedly took advantage of his access to Autzen Stadium to steal a university vehicle according to a report. But even after he crashed that one, he wasn’t deterred, returning to take another according to court documents.

The Eugene Police Department responded to a call of an abandoned John Deere Gator utility vehicle found on the Frohnmayer Bridge on Nov. 8 according to court documents. The vehicle had a broken axle and broken tail light and a skateboard and backpack were found in the back.

The custodian allegedly drove onto the scene in a second Gator to retrieve his things. According to court documents, he had an open container of beer in the cup holder of the vehicle and told police that he was a custodian contracted by the University of Oregon Athletics.

Court documents state the custodian explained that he used his athletic access card to get the Gator because he had a family emergency and could not afford an Uber. He allegedly said that he was driving home, about eight miles from the stadium, when he got distracted by a person on a bench and crashed the Gator into a wall. He then walked back to the stadium to get the second Gator to drive home.

According to court documents, the first Gator was stolen around 2:45 a.m. PT. The custodian allegedly told police that he worked at Matthew Knight Arena until about midnight and then went to a nearby bar for a beer before leaving around 2 a.m.

Additionally, court records state the custodian told the officers that he had gotten a total of eight hours of sleep over the past two days and had smoked marijuana earlier that same day. He was arraigned on a charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle on December 4.