Document text
Home invasion suspects linked to burglary By SARAH LEMON Police say a man and woman who robbed a Grants Pass couple at gunpoint in their home Thursday and then used their stolen credit cards are the same duo who burglarized a Medford home Wednesday. And they may try it again. Medford police say the suspects who used a stolen credit card in Mervyn's at the Rogue Valley Mall on Wednesday also used stolen cards in Meier & Frank the following day after robbing a home on the 1300 block of Beacon Drive in Grants Pass, said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. The duo bought more than $1,000 worth of jewelry at Meier & Frank and an undisclosed amount of baubles at Mervyn's and Tom and Sons Jewelers, which they may try to resell or return for a cash refund, Moran said. A Meier & Frank clerk assisting police with composite sketches of the two suspects recognized them on Mervyn's video footage, helping police link the two cases. The suspects are considered armed and dangerous and may be in the area, police said. With homes vacant during Labor Day weekend, there is a high probability they may attempt more burglaries over the holiday, Moran said. The male suspect is described as Hispanic, Asian or Pacific islander. He is between 30 and 40 years old with a medium build, short black hair and a bushy mustache. The female is in her late 20s with a slender build and standing about 5-foot-5. She has straight, shoulder-length dishwater blond or brown hair. They were last seen driving a tan or silver four-door vehicle with California license plates. The suspects apparently broke windows to enter both homes, which were burglarized while homeowners were gone for only a few hours, police said. At the Beacon Drive address, the duo threatened the residents when they arrived home around 10 a.m. and found the suspects' car in their garage. When the victims tried to call police, the male suspect brandished a semi-automatic pistol and told them to hang up the phone. The suspects then fled north on Beacon Drive toward Interstate 5 with a small amount of property, credit cards and cash. The same man and woman apparently stole jewelry, credit cards and about 200 compact discs Wednesday from a residence on the 100 block of High Oak Drive, Medford, police said. Medford police patrolled the Rogue Valley Mall and warned mall security Thursday after receiving reports the suspects were in Meier & Frank. Oregon State Police, California Highway Patrol officers and California Department of Food and Agriculture border inspectors also were alerted. Anyone with information about these suspects is asked to call either Grants Pass police Detective Jeff Geddings at 541-474-6379 or Medford police Detective Tim Lytle at 541-774-2239. Police are asking that people avoid approaching the suspects and instead contact police immediately. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.