Prolific East Portland ‘Phone Burglar’ busted

See why police think that, around Christmastime, this fellow was busy playing Santa Claus – but in reverse – at outer East Portland stores! They just busted him …

This store in the Gateway Shopping Center was burglarized – not once, but twice – around Christmastime last year.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A commercial burglary spree that began and ended in the Gateway area – as far as police can tell – left store owners perplexed, until Portland Police Bureau (PPB) “Burglary Detail” detectives cracked the case.

“On December 19, detectives believe the suspect broke into the Go Wireless, store, located at 9932 Northeast Halsey Street,” began PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson.

On Christmas Eve, Aarons Rentals, just south of Eastport Plaza, is the target of the smart-phone-stealing suspect.

Detectives believe the same person also broke into these additional cellular phone and electronic technology stores in the Portland area:

December 24 – Aarons Rentals; 4616 SE 82nd Avenue.
December 28 – Smart Phone Repair; 7901 SE Powell Blvd.
December 29 – Global Communications; 14331 SE Division Street.
December 29 – Again at Go Wireless 9932 NE Halsey Street.
December 31 – Aarons Rentals 1622 N. Lombard Street.

Smart Phone Repair, at the Powell Street Station shopping center, is one of the burglar’s targets.

Police say this man, 39-year-old Jason Paul LaCroix, is “a most prolific burglar”.

“Evidence developed by detectives ultimately led to the search warrant and arrest of 39-year-old Jason Paul LaCroix on February 20,” Simpson reported.

LaCroix was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on seven counts of Burglary in the Second Degree at 1:56 p.m., public records show.

It appears as if an Aarons Rentals store – not far from his residence – was the last burglary of this man’s current suspected crime career.

“At his residence, in the 9400 block of N. Adriatic Avenue in the Portsmouth neighborhood, evidence was recovered linking LaCroix to some of the burglaries,” Simpson added.

As of this writing, LaCroix remains lodged in Multnomah County Inverness Jail in lieu of $55,000 bail. MCDC records indicate he is also charged with parole or probation violation.

Anyone with additional information about LaCroix or these burglaries is asked to contact Detective Ryan Goss at (503) 823-0400 or Ryan.Goss@PortlandOregon.gov.

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