Document text
Two SUVs stolen from car lot recovered Wednesday Dec 28, 2016 at 6:47 PM Dec 28, 2016 at 6:47 PM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat Two SUVs stolen Tuesday night from a downtown Medford used car dealership have been recovered and a suspect is in custody, according to Medford police. Troy Anthony Jones, 46, was arrested on felony vehicle theft, elude and drug charges just after noon Wednesday following a low-speed chase through the outskirts of Medford in a stolen 1999 Jeep Cherokee. Jackson County sheriff's deputies and Phoenix police ultimately stopped Jones on East Barnett Road in the stolen Jeep. According to Medford police Sgt. Kim Budreau, Jones didn't speed but attempted to elude police by maneuvering away from them in traffic. "It wasn't like a typical pursuit," Budreau said. "He wasn't going too fast." Though spike strips were deployed at one point in the area of Foothill Boulevard and East Vilas Road, police pulled the strips back out of safety concerns, according to Budreau.  The keys to the Jeep and another SUV were taken during a break-in at Southern Oregon Auto Tuesday night, according to police. A photograph of the stolen Jeep was posted on Medford police's Facebook page Wednesday morning, and at least one witness called Medford police after spotting the vehicle at Natural Grocers. An off-duty police officer later spotted the SUV while at the gun range on Foothill Boulevard. Budreau said the tips helped police keep tabs on the vehicle's location in areas where a pursuit would've been too dangerous. Jones was lodged in the Jackson County Jail Wednesday on charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, attempting to elude police in a vehicle, methamphetamine possession, reckless driving and a probation violation stemming from a third-degree robbery charge. He was being held on $32,500 bail, jail records show. The second stolen Jeep was recovered on Interstate 5 early Wednesday morning near the south Ashland exit. The vehicle was reportedly covered in lighter fluid, according to Medford police. — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.