Mail Tribune News - Burglars trash home

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

1999-10-09

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Burglars trash home Eagle Point police suspect youths EAGLE POINT -- Police are investigating a home break-in Friday that resulted in about $10,000 damage. Patrolman Don Adams said interior walls and furnishings of a home in the 600 block of West Crystal Street were spray-painted and splashed with bleach some time Friday afternoon. Residents discovered the damage when they returned home from work. Adams said paint markings included swastikas, but neither he nor the residents think the incident amounts to a hate crime motivated by racial or religious bias. "I don't think that has anything to do with it," Adams said. More likely, he said, is that the damage was done by youths who have been in a dispute with the homeowners. He said he has some leads, and is pursuing the matter as a felony burglary and criminal mischief case. Although some belongings were reported missing, Adams said, the motive appears to be damaging the home, not theft. Vandals entered the home through an unlocked door. They spray-painted symbols, scribbles and obscenities on walls and appliances and dumped laundry bleach on the floor. "They ruined all of the carpeting in the house," Adams said. "The refrigerator they painted was brand new. It's a shame." Mail Tribune Copyright �  The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA