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By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune November 05. 2014 11:25AM Hillcrest resident stops likely burglary attempt This truck was reported stolen Monday in Merced County, Calif. Police ask anyone who sees the vehicle to call them. Photo courtesy of Rich Miles Right place, right time. That could be the summation of how Rich Miles unintentionally thwarted a likely burglary at his east Medford home Tuesday afternoon, then snapped pictures of the suspects' vehicle — a truck that turned out to have been stolen in California a day earlier — as they drove away empty-handed . "I'm thrilled I was able to stop it, but it was unnerving, too," Miles said. Miles had just arrived at his home in the 4400 block of Hillcrest Drive after work when he noticed a large GMC truck parked beside the house up against the lawn. "It just right away struck me as odd because no one ever comes to our house and parks that way," Miles said. He pulled into the garage and got out of his car, only to turn around and see two men standing in his driveway behind him. Miles described the pair as "scruffy looking." One of the men claimed they were out of gas and asked Miles if he had any. When he said he didn't, they asked where the nearest gas station was. He directed them to the USA Gasoline station off North Phoenix Road near Albertsons. "The whole time I'm thinking, 'OK, this is really odd.' If you're driving a truck that nice, you have money to buy gasoline," Miles said. As the men departed, Miles snapped a few pictures of their truck and was able to pick up the license plate: CA 8P14135. When he reported the incident to Medford police, they said the vehicle, a 2008 GMC 1500, had been reported stolen in Merced County in California the day before. Anyone who spots the truck is asked to call 911. Medford police said a successful break-in would have been the third such incident in the Hillcrest neighborhood in less than a week, and investigators say they are considering the same individuals could be responsible for all of them. "Could be, very much could be," Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau said. "Really hard to say. It's just pretty unusual to have Hillcrest targeted." The possible mini-spree started the afternoon of Oct. 29. Paul Schneider arrived at his home on Eastover Terrace after a day of work to find his home had been ransacked. Numerous electronics, including a computer, tablets and phones, a bowl containing keys to his home and cars, a checkbook, jewelry, and his 6-year-old daughter's American Girl doll had been taken from the home. The estimated value on the items is about $25,000. "We have a pretty long, extensive list," Schneider said. "They got a lot of stuff." Since the incident, Schneider said he had to re-key his home, get a security system installed and deal with banking hassles. "It's completely violating," he said. "You almost feel like you got cased." On Nov. 1, suspects hit a home down the road from Miles, in the 2600 block of Hillcrest Drive. This time, suspects made off with two cars — a blue 2008 Kia Sedona with Oregon license plate 989 EMU and a tan Saturn Astra with Oregon license plate 435 ELC — an 80-inch television, a safe, jewelry and a laptop. The stolen property from that burglary is valued at close to $30,000. Anyone with information about the cars or any of the burglaries is asked to contact Medford police at 541-770-4784. "I think things are changing in our community," Miles said. "I still feel relatively safe, but we have to understand anything can happen anywhere." Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141105/NEWS/141109806 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->