Libby man sentenced in DUI, theft case

Alex Eugene Vanorden was sentenced to five years to the Department of Correction with a $5,000 bond for his fifth or subsequent offense of driving under the influence of alcohol, and 10 years to the Montana State Prison with 5 years suspended for felony theft as part of the plea agreement.

Vanorden was charged with taking over $1,500 worth of construction tools from his employer on Aug. 15, the day that he was to appear in court on the DUI charge.

According to a sheriff’s office report, a man said that he saw a man and a woman put a table saw into the back of a white pickup in the 1400 block of Utah Avenue in Libby on Aug. 15. Vanorden was arrested on Aug. 15 in Sandpoint, Idaho with tools in the back of his pickup.

In addition to the table saw, other tools that were allegedly taken by Vanorden include: a paint sprayer, framing nail gun, two impact drivers and several other items.

The DUI charge stems from an arrest on July 20 at Montana Avenue and East Spruce Street in Libby.

According to the police report, Officer Ron Buckner found Vanorden sleeping in his vehicle with the keys in the ignition. When Buckner woke Vanorden, he stepped out of the vehicle and began walking down the street and refused to return to the vehicle.

Vanorden was then arrested and had a blood sample taken, said Buckner, who noticed three open alcoholic beverage containers in the vehicle.

The police report noted that Vanorden’s driver’s license was revoked, and he was on felony probation.