Alleged car burglar ‘looking for medication’ nabbed in Mesquite

Stock image of Mesquite Police Department vehicles, Mesquite, Nev., date not specified | Photo courtesy of Mesquite Police Department, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A Pennsylvania man is in jail facing felony charges after a concerned resident alerted police to a suspicious person going from car to car trying doors in a quiet Mesquite, Nevada, neighborhood.

James Miller, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pa., was arrested in Mesquite following a foot pursuit with police, Mesquite, Nev., July 16, 2022 | Photo courtesy of the Mesquite Police Department, St. George News

Officers responded July 16 after a 911 caller told emergency dispatch there was a suspect going from vehicle to vehicle parked along the street checking for unlocked car doors. He appeared to be attempting to gain entry into the cars, according to a statement released by the Mesquite Police Department on Thursday.

Mesquite Police Sgt. Wyatt Oliver told St. George News that officers responded to a residential area near Coyote Willows, where they found a man matching the description provided by the 911 caller, who appeared to be hiding behind a pickup truck.

As officers approached, the suspect fled on foot, and according to the statement, he was apprehended minutes later by one of the pursuing officers.

The suspect was identified as James Miller, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

During a search of the suspect, officers recovered burglary tools as well as an electric bicycle that was reportedly stolen from the garage of a home the previous day.

Oliver said the bike was valued at over $3,000 and was later turned over to its rightful owner by police.

During an interview, the suspect told officers he allegedly was breaking into the vehicles in search of medication.

Miller was arrested and transported to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he was booked into jail facing three charges, including one count each of possession of stolen property, burglary of a structure and grand larceny. He also faces a gross misdemeanor charge of possession of burglary tools and obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor as well.

The arrest also garnered a commendation by Mesquite Police Chief MaQuade Chesley, who said his officers cannot be everywhere at once, so the department relies on “the wonderful citizens of Mesquite to be our extra sets of eyes and ears.”

He added it was the accurate information provided by the 911 caller that led to Miller’s arrest and the recovery of the stolen property, which was returned to the owners.

Mesquite Police Department, Mesquite, Nevada, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Mesquite Police Department, St. George News

Oliver said at least two vehicles were broken into, but more victims may come forward as the investigation progresses.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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