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South
Grade burglar going for third felony count
By Billie Jo Jannen
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE – Local deputies, early last Thursday, March 17, caught a car burglar who is believed to be responsible for dozens of thefts and at least one stolen car over the past two weeks in the South Grade and Big Red Road area.
Recovered in the arrest were numerous items that have already been identified in reports and Deputy Chuck Browning said that residents who have not reported thefts may still be able to recover stolen items.
Prior to the arrest, reports of laptop computers, DVD players, tools and other items having been taken from unlocked cars had been pouring in from throughout the neighborhood, as evidenced by
The Alpine Sun’s lengthy crime log this week.
According to district attorney spokeswoman Gail Stewart, Jacob Daniel Powell, 24, has earned two prior felony convictions and was convicted just last month of resisting or obstructing a peace officer.
Browning, a deputy assigned to the Alpine substation, said he came in to work Thursday morning to find a resident waiting to report the theft of items from his car. About an hour later, a Willets Road resident called to report a stolen car — but Browning arrived to find that this man had a suspect in mind.
The resident had seen a man fitting Powell’s description out walking in the neighborhood with a flashlight at around 4 a.m. The man had seen Powell around before and was able to direct deputies to the house where lived, Browning said.
Powell, who is currently on probation, is under a fourth amendment waiver, meaning the normal rules governing the search of a private citizen’s home are suspended.
After speaking with Powell, Browning said he entered the home, located in the beleaguered neighborhood, and looked around. In the bedroom, he found some tools and an XM receiver that had been reported stolen earlier.
Numerous other items, both reported and assumed stolen, were also there.
“There was a lot of property that we’ve been able to connect with the thefts,” Browning said.
To date, property for about 15 to 20 reported thefts has been accounted for, he said. In addition, a car that had been reported as stolen was parked near Powell’s house, which he shares with his girlfriend. He has lived there for about a month.
The girlfriend was not arrested, Browning said.
Deputies are pleased to have made the arrest, “because it closed a lot of other cases,” Browning said. Deputies’ time had been strongly impacted by the need to respond and take reports on the numerous calls coming from the neighborhood.
Browning said deputies still have unclaimed property from Powell’s home and that residents who didn’t report thefts previously may contact deputies at 565-5200 to discuss missing items:
“I’m sure there are a lot of people who didn’t call because the missing items were small,” he said.
Browning advised residents to lock their cars, even though they live in what would be considered a low-crime area:
“People should do anything they can to be a hard target.”
Powell was booked into county jail for grand theft, receiving stolen property, petty theft and vehicle theft.
His arraignment was Monday afternoon and bail was set at $15,000, according to the jail website.
Stewart said Powell is scheduled for a readiness conference on March 30 and a preliminary hearing on April 4. Both appearances are in El Cajon.
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Billie Jo Jannen
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