Washington County Sheriff's deputies today arrested a man and accused him of burglarizing the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals while dressed in a head-to-toe camouflage suit.

At about 5 a.m. today, deputies responded to the museum, at

, after security devices detectives installed Wednesday alerted patrol deputies that a burglary was in progress, said Sgt. David Thompson, sheriff's office spokesman. Detectives added the additional security after the museum's caretaker reported to deputies that he found a large hole cut into the wall of an exterior bathroom, which is attached to the museum, but has no door that leads inside.

The hole was cut behind a dispenser of toilet seat covers, so it was not visible, Thompson said. The investigation indicates that the suspect removed the dispenser and then began cutting a hole, which would lead to the inside of the museum.

The caretaker told investigators that he began noticing odd dust on the bathroom's floor Monday morning, and continued to find dust Tuesday and Wednesday. Thompson said the caretaker decided to search for the source of the dust, and discovered the hole from an elevator shaft behind the bathroom's wall.

Detectives were called to the museum and installed security designed to alert deputies if someone entered the bathroom.

Responding deputies this morning searched the areas around the museum and found a bike and backpack, and decided to conduct a search using a Beaverton Police tracking dog, Thompson said.

The dog reportedly led its handler into a wooded area, and alerted the handler that it smelled something on the ground about a half mile from the museum. The dog bit what deputies believed to be the ground, but someone "cried out in pain," Thompson said.

The dog handler then realized a man was below him in a camouflage suit that hunters and military snipers wear to conceal themselves, Thompson said.

Deputies identified the man as 36-year-old Gregory Liascos, of Portland, arrested him and lodged him in the Washington County Jail on burglary and criminal mischief charges, Thompson said. Nothing at the museum was stolen.

–