A University student and two 16-year-old girls are facing theft charges after police seized more than $6,000 of stolen merchandise in their possession July 27.
According to a Eugene Police Department news release, officers found Mercedes Raisa White Calf of Portland, 19, and two juveniles with stolen clothing, jewelry, perfume, and makeup among other items from Valley River Center and Fifth Street Public Market.
Officers found White Calf and the two juveniles in a nearby clothing resale store when responding to a shoplifting call from a Fifth Street Public Market boutique, according to the release. In the store’s parking lot, police found thousands of dollars of merchandise in the trunk of an associated vehicle.
White Calf is facing one count of felony theft for receiving stolen merchandise. The two 16-year-olds, whose names were not released because they are juveniles, are each facing one count of felony theft.
White Calf graduated from Jefferson High School in Portland, and was the school’s 2007 Rose Festival princess. Each year, students enrolled in Portland-area schools elect a female student to represent their school as a princess during the Rose Festival. The young women selected to be a part of the court are highly involved in the community, and demonstrate strong leadership skills.
The Portland Rose Festival released a statement expressing disappointment and surprise to have a former princess tied to these allegations.
“Being on the Rose Festival Court is not just an honor, it’s a responsibility,” the statement said. “Being a princess is a major commitment of time and energy on the part of the princesses, and Mercedes White Calf fulfilled her responsibilities to the Rose Festival in 2007.”
Fellow Rose Festival Princess Brooke Bell, 19, said she could not believe the charges made against her friend. “I was absolutely taken aback,” Bell said. The Colorado State University student described White Calf as outgoing, genuine, personable and a good friend who is always there.
Bell said she has fond memories of time spent with White Calf on the court’s trips to Pendleton and the coast. “We would sit in the back of the bus and just talk about girl stuff,” Bell said. “We enjoyed the time when we were able to just be teenage girls together.”
Bell also said White Calf is driven and pointed, and she is someone who knows what she wants, and how to get there.
Jefferson High School Principal Cynthia Harris described White Calf as one of the brightest and most involved young women in the school. In a statement, Harris also noted some of the positive traits she saw in White Calf.
“Mercedes showed integrity and character during her time at Jefferson High School,” Harris said. “My hope for her is that she will continue to exhibit those qualities that brought her so much success in high school.”
While at Jefferson, White Calf was a cheerleader and volunteered for many organizations including Meals on Wheels, Students Today Aren’t Ready for Sex and the Native American Youth Association, according to the Oregonian. White Calf was a recipient of a 2007 Horatio Alger Scholarship and a Gates Millennium Scholarship.
University student James Brannon said he was shocked when he heard about the allegations. A 19-year-old political science and French major, Brannon served with White Calf in the Self Enhancement Inc. Pamplin Leadership Program in Portland. The program helps local-area high school sophomores, juniors and seniors develop leadership skills through youth summits, community outreach and service, and youth-led retreats.
Brannon said White Calf is an intelligent, goal-oriented person and that the charges do not fit her character.
Bell said that she hopes the issue somehow gets resolved. “I just hope everything works out for her,” Bell said. “She is too great of a person for this.”
White Calf declined to comment on the allegations.