Boyfriend of woman, 20, who went missing after they ‘became separated’ during a hike five days ago is arrested on unrelated charges as her cops continue hunt for her
- Allyson Watterson, 20, has been missing since Sunday after hike with boyfriend
- Her boyfriend, Benjamin Garland, was arrested on Monday on unrelated charges
- He was hit with possession of a stolen vehicle and theft among other charges
- Cops started searching for Watterson Monday when she was reported missing
- Garland told authorities that he and Watterson became separated during hike
- More than 90 volunteers have been searching the wooded area since Monday
The boyfriend of an Oregon woman who has been missing since Sunday has been arrested on unrelated charges.
Authorities and volunteers have been searching for Allyson Joy Watterson, 20, since Monday when Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies received reports of a missing woman in a wooded area near the city of North Plains.
Watterson was last seen during the day on Sunday while she was hiking with her boyfriend, Benjamin Hunter Garland, 21, who has since been arrested.
Benjamin Hunter Garland (left), the boyfriend of Oregon woman, Allyson Joy Watterson (right), 20, who has been missing since Sunday has been arrested on unrelated charges
Authorities and volunteers have been searching for Watterson (pictured) since Monday when Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies received reports of a missing woman in a wooded area near the city of North Plains
According to Fox 12, Garland was arrested on Monday after he was found near the search area in another man’s truck.
‘He was soaking wet from head to toe and he was kind of in a bad way, so I gave him a ride home to his parents’ house in Hillsboro and didn’t really think anything of it until today when I saw the people out here searching for the young girl that’s missing,’ Ralph Medica told the station.
Garland reportedly told sheriff’s deputies that they became separated during the hike and he was able to find his way out of the area.
He is being held at the Washington County Jail on numerous charges.
He was arrested on five failure to appear charges, possession of a stolen vehicle, theft, fraudulent use of a credit card and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, according to online records.
Police said Watterson’s family hasn’t heard from her since the morning of December 20th.
‘Allyson is a free spirit, kind of your true definition of like, hippie,’ Watterson’s aunt, Macy, told Fox 12. ‘She’s our girl.’
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office deployed its Search and Rescue (SAR) team to help locate Watterson safely.
Watterson is described as a while female, 20 years old, with teal colored (naturally brown) hair and blue eyes. She also has a tattoo of an eye (pictured) on the front left shoulder area along with a tattoo of a fairy sitting on a spider web on her left forearm
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office deployed its Search and Rescue (SAR) team (pictured) to help locate Watterson safely
Volunteers are seen receiving instructions ahead of Thursday’s search near the area where Watterson went missing
More than 45 volunteers (pictured) also helped with the search for Watterson on Thursday
‘We have approx. 45 trained searchers and another 45 or so volunteers ready to go. We will also be using drones and possibly aircraft in the search zone later today,’ the sheriff’s office tweeted earlier Thursday.
Watterson is described as a while female, 20 years old, with teal colored (naturally brown) hair and blue eyes.
She is approximately 5’7” and 120 pounds.
Watterson also has a tattoo of an eye on the front left shoulder area along with a tattoo of a fairy sitting on a spider web on her left forearm.
She was last seen wearing an orange/yellow-colored hooded sweatshirt, black jeans and brown Calvin Klein boots. She was also carrying a red backpack.
If you have any information on the location of Allyson Watterson, please contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office through our non-emergency number: 503-629-0111.