PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Tigard man charged with stealing gear from the U.S. Border Patrol said he was protecting himself from the zombie apocalypse, according to court documents.
The documents reveal that two Border Patrol agents found Tigard resident Austin Giger in the Lynden, Wash., port of entry on Aug. 28 just before 1 a.m., when offices were closed.
The court filings say Giger wore a U.S. Customs and Border Protection jacket, body armor and nametag, despite not being an agency employee. The defendant claimed to be an officer until his Oregon ID revealed otherwise, according to documents.
Filings state that Giger stole more than $5,000 worth of government property, including bulletproof vests, pepper spray, 0.223 caliber ammunition and an M-4 ammunition magazine.
The Tigard man claimed to take the items because he “believed he was in a zombie apocalypse.”
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office arrested Giger on state charges before transporting him to the county jail.
“On the way to the jail, Giger stated that he had crossed into Canada near Sumas through the woods and had been in Canada most of the day,” court documents said. “Giger stated he then crossed the border south into the United States at the port of entry.”
Additionally, border patrol agents found that the defendant had an extensive criminal history in Oregon.
According to documents obtained by KOIN 6, Giger had been on probation since early April. The Washington County Circuit Court in Oregon had previously charged him with unlawful use of a vehicle, burglary in the second degree and two counts of criminal mischief in the first degree.
On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle charged the defendant with unlawful possession of ammunition and theft of government property.
Giger’s detention hearing is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 2.
