Police: Alleged burglar targeted ‘one of our own’

 

By MARK FREEMAN
Mail Tribune

 

November 29, 2005

A suspected burglar was captured Monday after breaking into the east Medford home owned by a co-worker of the detective who made the arrest, authorities said.

Jeffrey Jon Swails, 34, allegedly broke into a Garden Drive house about 9:30 a.m. Monday, moments after Detective Justin Ivens spotted him in the house’s backyard from afar, according to the Medford Police Department.

Police said Swails had cash and jewelry he stole from the house when he was surprised by officers called to assist Ivens, who earlier Monday morning was assigned to investigate a recent rash of daytime burglaries in the city.

Detectives also have pinned Swails to a similar burglary from a nearby Springbrook Road house 12 days earlier, Lt. Tim George said. In that case, jewelry, watches and a camera were stolen, and some of that property was recovered from a Medford pawn shop Monday after Swails’ arrest, George said. "We’re looking at Swails for some other crimes, too," George said. "But right now, all we have is these two."

Swails, who did not give police an address, was taken into custody on two counts each of first-degree burglary and first-degree theft. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail, where he remained Monday night on a no-bail hold for allegedly violating the conditions of his parole from previous burglary and theft convictions.

The case began just hours after Ivens was assigned to probe the day-time burglaries, which have centered largely on northeast Medford, George said. While driving down Springbrook in his unmarked detective’s car, Ivens spotted a fidgety male standing at the corner of Springbrook Road and Garden Drive, George said.

When Ivens turned his car around, the man was gone, George said. So Ivens pulled into the nearby Frohnmayer Park to look east at the hill of houses, and then he spied the man in a Garden Drive backyard, George said. Ivens knew the man didn’t belong there, George said, because he knew the house belonged to an administrative assistant who works with him in the department’s criminal investigations section. "It was the residence of one of our own," George said.

As Ivens called for backup, Swails allegedly entered the attached garage through an open side door, then entered the home, George said. While inside, he used a large kitchen knife to pry open a jar containing cash and coins, and also stole some unspecified jewelry, George said.

"He came out the side door into the waiting hands of police officers," George said. "That was a good grab by Ivens. He realized something wasn’t right."

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(L.E.A.D.S.ONLINE CLIENT – MEDFORD, OR POLICE DEPT.)