Medford, Ore. — A Medford man is back behind bars, accused of burglarizing an area business Tuesday morning, just 5 days after allegedly robbing another one on the same street.
Police say 30 year-old Vance Nguyen broke into the Stop n Go on South Central early Tuesday morning, and took off with store merchandise. Just last week he was arrested for robbing a Purple Parrot for a pack of cigarettes.
Nguyen was released shortly after his arrest last week. Officials at the Jackson County Jail say they’re at capacity, and area police say while re-offenders are frustrating for officers, they often point to a bigger problem.
“Once we hit that capacity (230 inmates), we have to start releasing one person for every one that comes in,” Captain Dan Penland says.
“We’re dealing with a very crowded jail, and we’re dealing with a huge drug problem,” Lieutenant Mike Budreau of the Medford Police Department says, “we’re having more contacts with individuals using drugs than we ever have.”
It’s unclear if drugs were involved in this particular incident, but police say Nguyen has a history of meth use. The Jackson County Jail has been at capacity for over a year, and reduced their jail beds by 60 late last year.
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