Bail set at $25,000 for man accused of stealing rental car, boat in Camas

A man accused of leading authorities on a chase in a stolen boat appeared in Clark County Superior Court on Wednesday.

Travis Wagner, 30, faces charges of two counts of second-degree burglary, second-degree malicious mischief and first-degree theft, as well as theft of a motor vehicle and possession of stolen property. Judge Gregory Gonzales set bail at $25,000.

Police say Wagner stole a red 2019 Jeep from Budget Rental Car in Vancouver by breaking a glass door and forcing open drawers and a lockbox to get the car’s key. He then allegedly drove it to a marina at the Port of Camas-Washougal and stole a 36-foot Carver cabin cruiser on Tuesday morning, according to court documents.

Multnomah County Boat Patrol spotted the boat in the Columbia River near Sauvie Island and chased it to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, where Wagner allegedly ran the boat aground and fled on foot before being caught and bitten by a police dog, according to court documents. After the arrest, police found the Jeep’s keys and paperwork next to him, the documents said.

It’s not known how Wagner allegedly started the boat engine or got into the marina, but security camera footage shows him attempting to get into the locked marina doors at about 5:30 a.m., according to court documents.

Wagner also faced allegations that he had violated a supervised release condition; he had spent a year in jail and was on probation for residential burglary charges and theft of a motor vehicle in 2018. He also had a protection order against him for domestic violence charges from December, when he was accused of throwing a can of sparkling water at his partner during a fight, according to court documents.

His partner, with whom he has two children, accused him of using methamphetamine, which causes him to be delusional and paranoid, according to court documents.

A woman at the courthouse on Wednesday who identified herself as Wagner’s girlfriend said that, “He is a really good guy. He was just depressed.”

Wagner’s representing attorney is Shon Bogar, and his next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 15.