East Medford homeowner confronts burglar during 2nd floor break-in

MEDFORD, Ore. —A scary wakeup for an east Medford couple Thursday morning. They caught a burglar trying to get into their home. It happened around 3:30 am.

Police declined to say which street it was on but said it was near the Rogue Valley Manor.

The retired couple woke up to loud noise. They looked outside and saw a man on their roof.

Police say the resident grabbed a handgun and confronted the suspect with it. He held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived.

40-year-old Phillip DeLacruz was arrested for attempted burglary in the first degree, and trespass.

“Kudos to this homeowner who was calm cool and collected he was awoken from his sleep and knew exactly what to do and acted appropriately,” said Lieutenant Mike Budreau.

The investigation revealed the suspect accessed the secure backyard, and obtained the residents’ ladder, to get on the roof, where he tried to open a window.

Lieutenant Bureau says MPD believes the suspect chose that home because no lights were on. He recommends people make it look like you’re home, even when you’re not.

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Jenna King is the 6pm and 11pm anchor for NBC5 News. Jenna is a Burbank, CA native. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Sports Business. During her time at Oregon she was part of the student-run television station, Duck TV. She also grew her passion for sports through her internship with the PAC 12 Network. When Jenna is not in the newsroom you can find her rooting for her hometown Dodgers, exploring the outdoors or binging on the latest Netflix release.
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