Sean C. Morgan
Police respond to apparent burglary; 18-year-old found, taken into custody
The Sweet Home Police Department arrested a suspect Thursday in a series of recent burglaries.
Austin Richards, 18, was initially held on an outstanding warrant and early this week was charged in connection with two burglaries and one attempted burglary. He remained in Linn County Jail Tuesday.
Police Chief Bob Burford said the charges against Richards are related to burglaries that occurred on 10th and 37th avenues, and the incident that resulted in his arrest, at a 38th Avenue residence.
“We’re working to connect him to some of the recent residential burglaries through evidence left at the scenes of burglaries as well as suspected stolen property found on him during the arrest,” Burford said. ”We hope to be able to clear at least some of the burglaries in this manner.”
Police located and arrested Richards following a report of a burglary in progress on 38th Avenue.
Neighbor Reggie Pace was outside working on his pickup Thursday afternoon when he saw Richards walking south along 38th wearing a backpack, Pace said. “That’s unusual on this street this time of day. It didn’t look right to me. He walked in almost like he owned the place.”
Pace said he walked up to the front door of his neighbor’s and knocked on the door. Then he walked back to the driveway, started using his cell phone and returned to the door.
Pace kept paying attention while pretending not to notice, he said. After he stuck his head under the pickup’s hood, he heard a loud bang. He looked up and Richards was not in front of the house anymore. Pace went in and called the police.
Police found a broken window in the back of the house. They located Richards in the brush behind the house using a canine unit from the U.S. Forest Service.
“We’re looking into the possibility there is more than one individual doing these burglaries,” Burford said. “We have not determined yet whether this guy was acting alone.”
It’s not time for the public to relax yet, Burford said, although he said he is confident that the department has the burglar in at least some of the recent burglaries in custody.
“Over the last few weeks, Sweet Home has experienced a series of home daytime burglaries that follow a disturbing trend,” Burford said. “The suspect knocks loudly on the front door. If someone answers, he purports to be looking for a lost pet or offers some other innocent excuse, but if no one soon comes to the door, he goes to a door or a window shielded from the street and neighbors’ view and forces entry.
“Unfortunately, in at least two of these cases, a homeowner was inside and had not heard or had not had time to respond to the knocking. The homeowner only became aware of the problem when the suspect was actually attempting entry.
“In another instance, the homeowner left for a few minutes and thus did not hear the knock at the door. She and her children arrived back at the house and startled the burglar, who left by the back door as they went in the front.”
Police were concerned that it is only a matter of time until this burglar or burglars find themselves well inside the house when they startle a homeowner, Burford said. “Hopefully, the suspect will run as fast as he can, but no one can predict what the reaction of a frightened homeowner and a nervous burglar will be.”
The Police Department has made it a priority to respond as quickly as possible to suspected incidents of this type of crime, Burford said. “But we need your help to catch these guys. Citizens cannot stop crime all by themselves. Neither can the police. But when we work together, we’re a hard team to beat.”
n Take notice of strangers in your area: If someone you don’t recognize as belonging in your neighborhood catches your eye, watch them from a safe vantage point in your home. If they are going door to door or into areas of a neighbor’s yard they shouldn’t, call 9-1-1 and then stay on the line with the dispatcher to guide the responding officer to the suspect.
“We fully realize that the person you’re watching might have a totally logical explanation for the suspicious activity,” Burford said. “If that’s the case, we’ll find out who they are, apologize for the inconvenience and send them on their way – no harm, no foul.”
This has happened recently in a couple of different places, including The New Era office when a passerby noticed someone he didn’t recognize trying to get a key to work in the door. Police responded and discovered that a part-time employee was inside the building, apologized for the inconvenience and moved on.
A Cessna 172, with 101-year-old Paul Miller aboard, lifts off from Lebanon State Airport.
At a house on 27th Avenue, where there was a burglary last week in the neighborhood, a caller reported a man in a black stocking cap peering over a fence. Police responded and found a neighbor checking his own yard.
n Be aware of city laws: Sweet Home has an ordinance that requires anyone going door to door selling a product or service to have a city permit. Salesmen are required to present that permit if you ask. They can’t get away with telling you that their boss has it. Each person selling door-to-door must have a permit and show it if asked. If the salesman refuses to show you the permit, close the door, watch where they go and call the police immediately.
n Make your property a hard target: Lock your doors and secure your windows. Make your house look occupied even when it’s not. Turn on different lights when you leave. Play music or better yet, talk radio. The main reason the burglar or burglars are knocking on doors is to see if anyone is home. A home should be well-kept, and should not provide concealment next to windows.
Make sure someone you trust knows you will be gone, said Community Services Officer Gina Riley.
n Mark your valuables: Be able to identify expensive property. Police suggest close-up digital pictures, especially of jewelry and other items without serial numbers. Write down the make, model and serial numbers on high-value property.
If the item does not have a serial number, police suggest adding your own number. They prefer the initials “OR” for Oregon followed by your driver’s license number and then “DL.” This method will allow any police officer in the country to quickly determine the owner of property he may believe is stolen.
If you need to borrow an engraving pen, contact the Sweet Home Police Department, and it will lend you one.
“Timeliness is of the essence (following a burglary),” Riley said. “We need to know right away because tomorrow he’s going to be hawking them somewhere.”
n Be proactive: Become a member of your Neighborhood Watch. The city has 10 Neighborhood Watch groups. If you’re not sure who to contact, call Riley at (541) 367-5181.
n Self-defense: Sweet Home police have heard from a number of Neighborhood Watch members, and The New Era staff have heard off-hand comments from area residents about how dangerous it would be for the burglar or burglars in the recent series of burglaries to enter their homes.
People have been asking questions about it, Riley said, and she encouraged people to call with questions about the use of force.
But the use of deadly force against a burglar is not simple, Burford said.
“You’ve got to be protecting the lives of yourself or another person” – or someone must be in serious danger of physical injury.”