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CRIME Charlie's hat case linked to earlier east Medford break-ins Suspect cited and released after being charged with several crimes Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 2:33 PM Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 5:06 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 2:33 PM Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 5:06 PM » Social News Medford police have a suspect in an odd whodunit involving some Medford home and car break-ins and a mystery ball cap left at the scene. Police reported they cited and released 20-year-old James Lukens on charges of first-degree burglary, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle and third-degree theft. The charges are tied to a handful of alleged burglaries and car break-ins and two cars reported stolen in March and this week. Investigators allege Lukens left a 4-year-old boy's T-ball cap at the scene of his most recent burglary, a clothing item they say he'd pinched from a car along with the boy's batting gloves earlier. Police originally thought the hat belonged to a burglary suspect named "Charlie" because of the name written on the hat bill's underside. But numerous messages to Medford police's Facebook page pointed to the hat belonging to a child. "We initially thought it was going to be a clue to a suspect, but it turned out to be a clue to another case," said Lt. Mike Budreau. Budreau said police had responded to a string of car break-ins and a stolen vehicle in east Medford neighborhoods near the Rogue Valley Manor. Police were able to successfully track down the vehicle, a 2003 Toyota 4-Runner, to a home in the 2700 block of Ruth Drive. Police also recovered a stolen iPad at that home two days later by pinging it. "(Lukens) was a suspect in those, but we didn't have enough to charge him," Budreau said, adding detectives still processed the vehicle for possible forensic evidence. A month later, police investigated several car break-ins, a garage burglary and a stolen car in the 2400 block of Argonne Avenue in southeast Medford. That's when they found the hat, bright red and bearing a bulldog logo for the Scrappers T-ball team. Budreau said the investigator had also received additional information from the previously stolen 4-Runner, which pointed to Lukens as a suspect. Police said they questioned Lukens about the Argonne Avenue incidents and were able to link him to them, too. Budreau noted Lukens was cooperative and assisted in returning some of the stolen property, including the stolen car from Argonne Avenue. Some of the higher-dollar items had already been traded or sold, allegedly for drugs, police said. As for "Charlie," he's got his hat back. "While we struck out on this being the suspect's hat, it was nice to be able to eliminate it as having evidentiary value and save us time and effort in having it analyzed," Medford police wrote on their Facebook wall. "Sorry, Charlie." 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 Apr. 28, 2015 at 2:33 PM Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 5:06 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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