‘One Tough Mother’: Robber May Regret Tying Up Columbia Sportwear Leader
- Posted on November 11, 2010 at 6:43pm by
Scott Baker
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Gert Boyle, the 86-year-old leader of Columbia Sportswear whose book describes her as “One Tough Mother,” fooled a robber by tripping a silent alarm at her suburban home, summoning police and leading to the capture of a suspect.
She was roughed up when the robber tied her hands Wednesday afternoon, police said, but wasn’t seriously injured.
Boyle, who chairs the Oregon-based company’s board, did take an unusual day off from work Thursday, a spokesman said.
She burnished her hard-nosed reputation after her husband died of a heart attack and she took over Columbia in 1970. In the 1980s, a national ad campaign showed her putting her son Tim and the products through extreme tests and her flexing her biceps tattooed with the words “Born to Nag.”
On Wednesday, police said, Boyle pulled into the driveway of her home in West Linn and the robber approached her posing as a delivery man. But when she got suspicious, he pulled a gun and ordered her inside the house.
Boyle told the robber she had to disable the alarm but instead tripped a silent panic button that summoned officers.
When one arrived, he saw that Boyle’s hands were bound and someone appeared to be inside the house. But the robber escaped through a back door and into a ravine.
Six hours later at about 11:20 p.m., said Sgt. Neil Hennelly, an officer saw a man limping outside a McDonald’s where he had apparently been trying to clean himself. His face was scratched, and he told the officer he had been working on the trees, Hennelly said.
The man identified himself as 39-year-old Nestor G. Caballero and police booked him on charges of burglary, robbery and kidnapping. They found jewelry that appeared to be from Boyle’s house, he said.
Hennelly said the man told them he targeted Boyle, but they don’t have an indication he had committed any similar crimes. Nor are police certain of his identity, Hennelly said.
“We have no indication this guy has a criminal record, based on the name he’s given us,” Hennelly said.
Despite bumps and bruises, Boyle’s business instincts came to the fore when the West Linn police chief visited to brief her on the investigation.
“He mistakenly wore a North Face jacket, and he asked her how she was doing,” Hennelly said. “She said she was doing fine until that jacket walked through the door.”
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PC-FIDE
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 11:47pmThis turned out fine she was not harmed physically.
Report Post »Only now we have incarcerate this lowlife for 20 years .If he is illegal this should be paid for by the federal government since they refuse to protect our sovereignty.
M-O-O-N Spells Moon
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 3:46pmOh my. Thank you for the laugh this story gave me.
And for the folks making the derogatory racial comments… How does using the term “*******” advance the national discussion of illegal immigrants? Displaying intolerance in this way does not help us to get the laws enforced properly by the Feds, and it does not earn sympathy from people that are undecided on the issue. It won’t be long until mainstream media will be saying “…and then he used the W word to describe the victim (burglar).”
Report Post »We make greater strides by remaining calm and resolute. And knowing when to laugh and applaud “One tough mother.”
libertyordeath87
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 9:52amNotice no mention of the guys legal status in the US. Another example of the AP protecting illegals and trying to hide the truth from America.
Report Post »Ronko
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 8:03amStupid criminals crime will never pay
Report Post »Race
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 12:56amGet some Gert! The point, for those of you that missed it, is that us “old fogies” weren’t raised to be sheep.
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 12:20amGood thinking. I hope they put this “cowboy” in jail where he belongs.
Report Post »JustMel71
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 9:40pmHa, she’s the reason I bought 3 Columbia jackets. Tough enough to withstand Momma Columbia. They are nicely made too. Go get em’ Momma =)
Report Post »CM Sackett
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:45pm~Despite bumps and bruises, Boyle’s business instincts came to the fore when the West Linn police chief visited to brief her on the investigation.
“He mistakenly wore a North Face jacket, and he asked her how she was doing,” Hennelly said. “She said she was doing fine until that jacket walked through the door.”~
LOL! Absolutely… I wear nothing but COLUMBIA wear!! ~and some of my favorite pieces are almost 20 years new~
…it‘s been to the Bridger’s of MT, the entire length of AK (from Valdez, to just a few miles S. of Dead Horse), the rest of the West… and Scotland, with me. Wouldn’t trade my COLUMBIA wear for “that jacket” brand, period.
You go, ol’ girl!
Report Post »CM Sackett
revelstoke92
Posted on November 13, 2010 at 7:55pmA fellow traveler, I have 3 Columbia jackets that I ski in as well as 2 Columbia sweaters and a pair of black bibs. I’ve had the sweaters for 9 years, the bibs for 14 and my newest of the 3 jackets is 15 years old. They’ve seen Crystal Mountain, Jackson Hole, Taos, Alta/Snowbird, Lake Tahoe, and Jay Peak in the east and they still look great. I feel bad I haven’t purchased more from them, but I haven’t needed to.
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:43pmSlow news day?
Report Post »flyguync
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:40pmToo bad she wasn’t packin……
Report Post »Movinfr8
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 10:25amOh, she’d be a hypocrite! She and her company are very anti- second amendment. I won’t buy crap from them.
Report Post »Rob
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:08pmAnother person who would be no longer existing in my world…..
Report Post »FlatFoot
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:07pmClever girl.
Report Post »Slobaphobe
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:04pmCaballero means cowboy in espanol. Yes, I notice these things. I have an inquiring mind about the national origins of criminals. Just a hobby I acquired after my son’s best friend got his car totaled by an unlicensed illegal Mexican National.
Report Post »tutilal
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 5:47pmActually, caballero means gentleman also…?!!!!!
Report Post »NukeHaze
Posted on November 13, 2010 at 3:35pmVasquero is also used, caballero may have initially been intended to indicate one who rides a horse, caballo, but more means gentleman, now, almost as using the designation of Don.
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:00pmSweet!
Report Post »Mickeyd
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 6:59pmGreat american hero—and yes, captain of industry in her own right. You go, Mrs. Boyle! All women should look up to your ambition, smarts and toughness.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 7:07pmThat was great! The generation that didn’t take no crap from nobody, my mother-in-law had the same spirit. Glad that ended well.
Report Post »whitaker
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 6:58pmWhat is the point of this story? All she did was activate the silent alarm.
Report Post »mizflame98
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 9:20amAnd it saved her life as well as got a dirt bag off the street.
Report Post »Spookytruck
Posted on November 13, 2010 at 5:22pmAmen!
Report Post »kontrarian
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 6:50pmHuh?
HouseNegro
Posted on November 11, 2010 at 9:12pmAnother crime commited by an illegal *******. When we gonna flush these turds back across the border?