Corvallis Dollar Tree thief convicted, avoids prison

Isaac Timothy-Fitz Harris hid in a warehouse until after closing time in March 2023, emerging while employees were counting crates, robbing them at gunpoint, and fleeing with $2,300 in cash, according to court documents.

In April 2023, Harris attempted to carry out the same plan at the same store, but employees spotted him on security cameras and alerted authorities. He was arrested by Corvallis police after fleeing the building.

The robbery weapon was left in the Dollar Tree when Harris fled and was later found to be a replica gun in the style of a Colt M1911 pistol, silver in color with wooden grips, according to the authorities.

Harris was charged with felony counts of first-degree robbery, attempted robbery and theft, two counts each of second-degree burglary and unlawful use of weapons, and two misdemeanor counts of menacing.

First-degree robbery alone carries a minimum sentence of 7 1/2 years in prison, and Harris faces more than 10 years total.

Last week, Harris was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of supervised probation for attempted first-degree robbery, to which he pleaded guilty in January. He was also ordered to perform 5,248 hours of community service, with hour-for-hour credit for his study or work time.

Under a plea agreement, the remaining charges were dismissed.

The prosecution and defense had negotiated a deal for Harris to serve a three-year prison sentence, but Judge Joan Demarest determined Harris would face a lighter sentence due to factors including Harris' young age, his clean criminal record and the potentially harmful impact of the prison sentence.

“I met with a lawyer to try to find a solution that could address the court's concerns about sending a very young man – inexperienced, short – to the Department of Corrections for three years, and this that brings it back to the situation. community after three years,” Demarest said.

Around 10 p.m. on April 14, 2023, Corvallis police responded to a report of a trespassing at the Dollar Tree, 2001 NW Circle Blvd., according to a probable cause affidavit from the agency.

Store staff told dispatch they saw a man with a backpack hiding in a back room after the store was locked up for the night, the affidavit states, noting that employees had locked in an office and could see Harris just outside the room.

Officers surrounded the building and forced entry through a store window, according to the affidavit, which says Harris took off running as police closed in on his position, exiting from the rear. He was quickly arrested and reportedly told police he was simply using the store's restroom.

A state sentencing memo says Harris' phone revealed photos of him with the initial robbery, and location data confirmed his presence at the store that day. Harris also had notes in his phone calculating money by denomination and text messages alluding to the crime, the note said.

The victims of the robbery told authorities that their lives had been forever changed by Harris' criminal actions and that they were suffering from long-term trauma. The sentencing memo says two of the victims quit their jobs at Dollar Tree, while a third is paranoid and fearful, and constantly looking over her shoulder at work.

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