Police arrest suspect in Fairview home robbery

By Shannon Wells

The Gresham Outlook, Nov 12, 2009, Updated Nov 16, 2009

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Fairview Police arrested a Wood Village man Monday, Nov. 9, who was wanted in the robbery of a Fairview man last week.

After observing a Ford Explorer with a license number matching what the robbery victim reported, police arrested Andrew Christopher Gragg, 22, around 10 a.m. Monday at an apartment complex in the 23000 block of Halsey Street.

Already on parole for similar charges, Gregg faces allegations of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary, according to Fairview Police Sgt. Gary Kirby.

Gragg went to a home on Sixth Street in Fairview around 2:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, to ask the resident about purchasing a classic car parked in the driveway. The elderly male resident allowed Gragg in his home to talk about the purchase. Shortly after entering, Gragg pointed what appeared to be a black, semi-automatic pistol directly at the man and demanded all of his money.

The resident gave Gragg the money in his wallet, and Gragg ran from the scene to a nearby Ford Explorer. The victim, who was not injured, copied the license plate number as the truck left the scene, and he provided the information to police.

The Fairview Police Department's Neighborhood Response Team supervised by Police Chief Ken Johnson, investigated this incident. The team developed information on Gragg’s whereabouts and conducted a surveillance watch.

Police attempted to contact Gragg at the location, but a friend attempted to hide him. With the assistance of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Gragg was later located in his apartment and arrested without incident.

Johnson praised the investigative work of the newly formed Neighborhood Response Team in its first case.

“That was the first activation of the team,” he said. “They made a great arrest. It was good police work that most likely prevented future crimes in an incident that could’ve escalated into violence.”