Corvallis Dollar Tree robber sentenced, avoids prison

Isaac Timothy-Fitz Harris hid in a stock room until after closing time in March 2023, emerging while employees were counting tills, robbing them at gunpoint and slipping out the back with $2,300 in cash, according to court documents.

In April 2023, Harris tried executing the same plan at the same store, but workers spotted him on security cameras and alerted authorities. He was arrested by the Corvallis Police Department after fleeing the building.

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

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

First-degree robbery alone carries a minimum sentence of 7½ years in prison, and Harris faced more than 10 years total.

Last week, Harris was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of supervised probation on the attempted first-degree robbery charge, 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 education or work time.

Under a plea agreement, the remaining counts were dismissed.

The prosecution and defense had negotiated a deal for Harris to serve three years in prison, but Judge Joan Demarest determined Harris would face a lighter penalty due to factors that include Harris’ youthful age, clean record and the potential harmful impact of prison time.

“I did meet with counsel in an effort to try to come up with a resolution that could address the court’s concerns about turning a very young man — inexperienced, small — into the Department of Corrections for three years, and what that brings back to the community after three years,” Demarest said.

At around 10 p.m. April 14, 2023, Corvallis police responded to a trespassing report 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 employees locked themselves in an office and could see Harris just outside the room.

Officers surrounded the building and forced entry through a storefront window, according to the affidavit, which states Harris took off running as police closed in on his position, exiting out the back. He was quickly caught and arrested, reportedly telling police he was just using the store’s bathroom.

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

The robbery victims told authorities their lives were forever changed by Harris’ criminal actions, suffering long-term trauma. The sentencing memo notes two of the victims left their jobs at Dollar Tree, while a third paranoia and fear, and is constantly looking over his shoulder at work.

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