Baker City Woman Arrested After Campbell Street Business Disturbance

Christina Diane East, 54, was arrested at a Campbell Street business in Baker City on Friday after allegedly grabbing and touching a victim inside the store multiple times despite repeated demands to stop, then resisting officers when they arrived to take her into custody.

Baker City Police responded to the disturbance call around 2:00 p.m. on March 27. Witnesses and dispatch logs confirmed the unwanted physical contact before officers acted. "While in the store, the suspect repeatedly would touch and grab the victim after being told not to," said Baker City Police Chief Ty Duby.

The arrest compounded an already-active legal situation. Dispatch logs initially listed charges of Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, but officers discovered East also carried an outstanding Baker County Justice Court warrant for Criminal Trespass II and Disorderly Conduct II from a prior case. At the time of reporting, East was lodged at the Baker County Jail and held on charges of Harassment, Disorderly Conduct II, Resisting Arrest, and Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree (FTA).

In plain terms, harassment under Oregon law covers unwanted physical contact toward another person; criminal trespass reflects a business's right to exclude individuals from its property; and resisting arrest is charged separately from whatever conduct prompted the original call. The FTA notation on the trespass charge indicates a prior failure to appear in Baker County court, which is how the Justice Court warrant remained active when East arrived on Campbell Street Friday afternoon.

Charges at this level, including harassment, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass, are handled in local court and can result in fines, probation, or jail time depending on prior history and case facts. No bail amount or scheduled court date for East had been confirmed at the time of reporting.

For Campbell Street businesses and other Baker City retail locations dealing with recurring disturbances, Oregon's Trespass Letter of Consent process allows a property owner to authorize police to act on a trespasser without requiring the owner to be physically present each time. The Baker City Police Department's non-emergency line, (541) 524-2014, is the starting point for establishing that kind of arrangement or for reporting non-emergency disturbances before they escalate.

When incidents involve someone in behavioral distress rather than straightforward criminal conduct, Baker County Mental Health operates a 24-hour crisis line at (541) 523-5914. The Oregon Behavioral Health Foundation also runs a 24-hour line at (541) 523-4134, with offices at 1931 Court Street in Baker City, and New Directions NW provides free, recovery-focused peer support for Baker County residents through its Behavioral Health Resource Network.

Anyone with additional information about the March 27 incident is encouraged to contact the Baker City Police Department.