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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Creating Haven Park ... Warm water kills 150,000 steelhead fingerlings at Umpqua River Hatchery ... Century-old Medford Elks Lodge up for sale ... Creating Haven Park ... Warm water kills 150,000 steelhead fingerlings at Umpqua River Hatchery ... Century-old Medford Elks Lodge up for sale ... CRIME Medford police hope photo will help solve months-long string of Jeep thefts By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 21, 2015 @ 10:46 am Updated Aug 21, 2015 at 11:27 AM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 21, 2015 @ 10:46 am Updated Aug 21, 2015 at 11:27 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Medford police think a man photographed trying to steal a Jeep from the Winco parking lot last week could be responsible for the theft of 16 others around the city since March. Now they want the public's help identifying him. A passerby snapped the photo on his phone Friday, Aug. 14, when he saw a nervous - looking man trying several keys on a Jeep Cherokee parked in the Winco lot. After several unsuccessful attempts, he walked off, which is when the photo was snapped, Budreau said.  The man is described as white, 5-feet-7, with a stocky build. He was wearing a red shirt and red San Francisco 49ers flat-brimmed ball cap. Surveillance video later showed a man wearing all red easily breaking into another Jeep parked elsewhere in the lot and driving away in it.  The thefts were the latest in a surge in Jeep thefts that started last spring, police said. "We certainly think he's going to be tied to the Jeeps," Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau said . "We noticed a very obvious trend in March when we started seeing mid-'90s Jeeps being stolen very frequently.  Since March 10, there have been 16 reports of stolen Jeeps in Medford. The models and years vary, but a majority are mid- to late-90s Cherokees and Wrangler models. "We've kind of been waiting for a break because we haven't been able to arrest anybody regarding those Jeeps," Budreau said. "I think they just have a (lock) that can be bypassed. They're just easier to steal, and there are a lot out there." Of the 16 that have been stolen, 14 have been recovered. Investigators think the suspect has been using a shaved key or a key that is altered to fit in multiple locks. Police think such keys could also be responsible for a recent bout of '90s Honda thefts. The Jeep stolen from the Winco lot is a green 1997 Jeep Cherokee with Oregon license plate YFV 056. Anyone with information about the theft, or the identity or whereabouts of the man in the photo, is asked to contact Medford police at 541-770-4784.  Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 21, 2015 @ 10:46 am Updated Aug 21, 2015 at 11:27 AM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501