Suspect enters houses while residents are home
(The Beacon)
By Kathryn Walters, Staff Writer -- walters14@up.edu
Over spring break, many North Portland residents, especially around the UP area, had even more reason to lock their doors and windows.
From roughly March 5 to March 13, a cat burglar targeted the St. Johns, University Park and Portsmouth neighborhoods. As of March 27, the suspect has not been identified or caught.
There have been six to seven reported incidents of the thief entering homes and trying to steal small items, such as a wallet, while residents were home. However, the suspect was then discovered and fled the scene, according to Angela Wagnon, crime prevention coordinator for the Office of Neighborhood Involvement with the City of Portland.
"It's beneficial when there's an actual pattern of what's happening and we can let people know," Wagnon said. "You have to give people something to look for."
On March 13, Wagnon sent an email alert to the residents of the St. Johns, University Park and Portsmouth neighborhoods to warn them of the burglaries, to provide information on how to prevent further incidents and to urge anyone who may have seen the suspect to contact Portland Police.
The suspect, while not yet identified, is believed to be a white male in his late teens to early 20s, approximately 5 feet and 8 inches tall and wearing jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. It is also possible that the suspect rides a bike, as one has been seen propped up against a home that was entered. The suspect also tends to enter homes between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Jim Kuffner, assistant vice president for Community Relations and Special Projects, believes he may have seen the suspect on his way to work on the morning of March 13. He spotted a person matching the description crossing the street on Willamette Boulevard near the Columbia Park annex and the Mocks Crest House.
"He put some fear into me," Kuffner, who lives near UP, said. "I thought he was not a person I would want to be around. I don't want to accuse anyone of being a burglar, but boy, he fit the profile."
Kuffner did not know Wagnon's email alert had gone out before he saw the alleged suspect.
"As soon as I read it, I thought I had seen him," Kuffner said.
Although no UP students have reported being victims of a burglary, Gerald Gregg, assistant director of Public Safety, said it is still important for students to be wary, and if any student is a victim of any crime in general, he or she should notify the Office of Public Safety and the Portland Police Bureau.
"We can facilitate the students' contact with Portland Police," Gregg said. "Our object is for everyone to be safe and feel safe."
Gregg said off-campus students should leave lights on to discourage burglaries and if they will be gone from their house for an extended period of time, like spring or summer break, to have someone periodically check on the house.
"Even that may not stop someone because they get pretty brazen and bold," Gregg said.
According to Wagnon, crime risks become higher as the warmer months of the year approach because sometimes people are more likely to leave doors and windows open. In order to combat burglaries, she recommends locking doors even when residents are home, leaving porch lights on overnight and keeping valuable items, like laptops, away from the view of windows.
"Think a little bit about what you leave around," Wagnon said. "It's important for people to still be vigilant."
Kuffner said the recent string of burglaries serve as a reminder to be proactive in regard to safety.
"Over the years we've learned even when we're home, to keep our doors locked," Kuffner said. "It just reminds me that you need to be watchful."
