Baker City man arrested for trespassing less than a month after release

Jonathon Russell Romine, 45, was taken into custody after a homeowner reported a man walking around near a residence and barn on Alder Creek Road in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. Dispatch received the complaint at approximately 2:30 a.m., and deputies located and arrested Romine about 3 a.m. He was lodged in the Baker County Jail and is charged with one count of second-degree trespassing.

Homeowners on Alder Creek Road and nearby neighborhoods have been unsettled by what law enforcement describes as repeated contacts with Romine. One resident sent security camera footage showing a man enter a gated driveway, rummage in a garbage can and break wine bottles in the driveway. Powell, who reviewed the video, described it as “entering the premises through a gated driveway, digging around in the garbage can, pulling out bags and wine bottles and breaking the wine bottles in the driveway before leaving on foot.” Later that night, around 11:19 p.m., three people phoned 911 to report Romine “breaking things” on the 2600 block of 12th Street; Powell wrote that he saw a man kicking the front door of a house in that block and “screaming incoherently.”

Baker City Police Chief Ty Duby said Romine has “…a lengthy criminal history with frequent police contact from both the Baker City Police Department and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office,” and officers have encountered him multiple times since April 2025. Romine’s court record shows a probation revocation on July 19, 2021, the day he pleaded no contest to possession of a stolen vehicle. He was sent to Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in July 2021. Records cited in reporting indicate a 2019 conviction related to parole revocation that could have carried a 38-month sentence, though available reports do not detail how long he served in state prison.

Local officers point to a violent encounter in late 2025 as part of Romine’s history. Chief Duby described that earlier arrest in detail: “When police arrived Mr. Romine was shirtless and acting erratic. As an officer attempted to contact individuals at the residence, Mr. Romine charged an officer, and Mr. Romine was tased with negligible effect. As the officer attempted to take Mr. Romine into custody, Mr. Romine got hold of the officer’s leg and bent it at the knee, placing the officer in a dangerous situation. In an effort to get free the officer deployed a closed fist strike to Mr. Romine. Eventually, after an additional taser deployment officers finally got him handcuffed.”

For Baker County residents, the episode underscores the strain frequent repeat contacts place on small-town policing and on neighbors who report disturbances late at night. Authorities have not released a full charge sheet beyond the second-degree trespassing count; booking logs and court records should clarify whether additional counts will be filed.

Romine remained in custody as of Feb. 2. Neighbors and property owners are advised to report suspicious activity to dispatch and to preserve any camera footage that may assist investigators as the county and Baker City authorities complete their review and move toward any forthcoming court proceedings.