Skip to main content

Portland burglar allegedly used a drone to aid in after-hours food cart robbery

Drones can be used for all manner of applications, from snapping breathtaking photos to racing to inspecting aging infrastructure to … robbing food trucks? While hopefully not the start of a new high-tech crime spree straight out of an episode of Black Mirror, the owners of a pair of food carts in Portland, Oregon recently had their property burglarized by a thief who used a drone to help carry out the alleged crime.

The drone was reportedly employed as a surveillance tool in the robbery of two Piedmont Station food carts, Hapa Howie’s and PDX Dönerländ. The foot cart burglary took place on Tuesday. Hapa Howie’s owner told news station KOIN that, after her cart was burglarized, she checked security footage over the incident. It showed a drone hovering nearby — including close to the locks — prior to the suspected thief appearing and going through her cart. The thief stole business checks, tablets, loose change, and more.

Recommended Videos

“I’m shocked, angry, and also mildly impressed,” Kiaha Rasmussen, owner of Hapa Howie, told KPTV.

According to Portland police, 34-year-old Christopher Behurst was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of burglarizing the food carts. He is accused of felony theft and burglary, according to jail records. He was released from custody early Thursday on a bond.

This is just the latest in a series of food cart-related crimes, with the food vendors regularly targeted by thieves. Unfortunately, it’s also indicative of a rise in drone-related criminal activity.

Drones are increasingly used for spying on people, often celebrities, from the sky. In the U.K., a major international airport last year ground to a halt after a troublemaker used a regular consumer drone to disrupt regular service. The drone incident at Gatwick Airport ultimately caused around 1,000 flights to be canceled or diverted. More recently, a fleet of 10 drones attacked a major Saudi-Arabian oil-processing facility. The incident resulted in around half of Saudi Arabia’s daily oil production being suspended, cutting global oil supplies by 5% and causing prices to soar. Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack.

In all of these instances, the modus operandi and the type of drone varies. However, it’s a reminder of how criminals and other wrongdoers will find malicious use-cases for drones as they become more widely available. It’s fortunate that law enforcement has its own ideas for putting drones to work on the side of the good guys.

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Watch Amazon’s new Ring security drone take on a burglar in first ad
ring always home cam autonomous flying camera news specs price alway connect 2 of 3

 

Amazon unveiled a bunch of new products on Thursday, September 24, including Ring’s Always Home Cam.

Read more
The Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the $7,500 tax credit
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

After a brief and confusing absence, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — and this time, it's sticking around (at least for now). So, what happened? Let’s unpack the ride.

The Ioniq 5, a sleek and tech-savvy electric crossover, initially made headlines not just for its design, but for being built at Hyundai’s brand-new Metaplant in Georgia. That domestic assembly qualified it for the EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires vehicles to be made in North America with batteries sourced from trade-friendly countries. But early in 2025, the Ioniq 5 vanished from the list. Why? Likely due to its battery packs, which were then still being sourced from SK On’s Hungarian facility.

Read more
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more