QuickTake:

Gov. Tina Kotek’s office initially declined to extradite two suspects in Texas wanted in Lane County and allegedly connected to a burglary ring that targeted Asian American households in the region. After blowback from the Asian American community, Kotek agreed to extradite one.

This story has been updated with additional information and a statement from the governor’s office.

Gov. Tina Kotek has granted a request from Lane County’s district attorney to extradite a suspect in Texas wanted in connection with a burglary ring that targeted Asian American victims in the region. 

Kotek’s office initially had turned down Lane County’s request to extradite two wanted individuals from Texas, sparking a backlash from the region’s Asian American community. The two are connected to a widespread investigation that Eugene and Springfield police launched last year after a string of more than a dozen burglaries last year in the region. 

“I can confirm the Governor has changed her position on funding the extradition,” Lane County District Attorney Christopher Parosa said in an email to Lookout Eugene-Springfield. “We are pleased with that decision.”

The Asian American Council of Oregon welcomed news of Kotek’s reversal of her decision to extradite a suspect from Texas. Last week, the organization had expressed disappointment in the state’s decision. 

“We are grateful the Governor’s office has heard and taken into account the impact on our Asian American community,” the council said in a statement. “We are also grateful for our allies who have spoken up for the inclusion and safety of Asian Americans in Oregon.”

Prosecutors have not revealed the suspects’ names or the charges filed against them.

Last week, the governor’s office told Lookout Eugene-Springfield it chose not to pay for the extradition because the person was facing deportation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and had an ICE hold. Court records for other suspects in the same ring identify the individuals as Colombian nationals.

Friday, Roxy Mayer, a spokesperson for Kotek’s office, said the governor’s office received two requests for extradition from Texas in connection with the alleged burglary ring. 

One request is moving forward now, Mayer said. The governor’s office is still not moving forward with the individual who has the ICE hold, Mayer said.

“After further communication with the Lane County DA’s office and review of the information provided, the Extradition Office moved forward with funding the extradition for one fugitive in Texas,” Mayer said in an email.

The widespread nature of the burglary ring and its sophisticated nature concerned the Asian American community.

An investigation that reached beyond Lane County into Washington County found a multistate ring that focused on Asian people in Oregon, Idaho and Washington, according to court documents and prior police statements. Court documents show prosecutors believe the ring committed more than 100 thefts in three states.

In June 2024, the Eugene Police Department announced the arrest of six burglary suspects who allegedly were part of the multistate residential burglary ring. It’s unknown if the extradition involves one of the six who was arrested last year or a different individual.

In February, four other suspects were arrested and charged with similar burglaries in Washington County. “Law enforcement suspects this group of committing over 30 residential burglaries in Oregon and possibly more than 100 in the tri-state area,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. 

In general, the governor’s office can choose whether to approve a county’s extradition request from out of state and can take into account factors such as cost and the seriousness of the charges. 

It’s not the only recently reversed extradition involving Lane County: Kotek also initially denied a request to extradite a suspect accused of embezzling from Eugene Weekly. Her office later reversed that decision and decided to bring the weekly publication’s  former business manager from Ohio back to Oregon to face charges, The Oregonian reported. 

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.