PORTLAND, Ore. — 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 burnished her hard-nosed business reputation after her husband died of a heart attack and she took over Columbia, based in Oregon, in 1970. On Wednesday, police said, Boyle pulled into the driveway of her home in West Linn and the robber approached her posing as a deliveryman. 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, the robber escaped through a back door and into a ravine. Police apprehended the suspect six hours later and found jewelry that appeared to be from Boyle’s house.
Despite Boyle’s bumps and bruises, her business instincts came to the fore when the West Linn police chief visited.
“He mistakenly wore a North Face jacket, and he asked her how she was doing,” Sgt. Neil Hennelly said. “She said she was doing fine until that jacket walked through the door.”
