Covelo Man Allegedly Caught Burglarizing Home While Tenant was Away
COVELO, CA — A Mendocino County man has been arrested for allegedly burglarizing a residence and being uncooperative with responding authorities.
According to an agency press release, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a property owner early on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 6, who reported an unknown subject at a tenant’s residence and a burglary in progress.
Deputies on patrol in Covelo responded to the 23500 block of Cemetery Lane, where they were joined by officers from the Round Valley Tribal Police Department, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators reportedly spoke with the property owner and confirmed that no one was authorized to be at the residence.
Deputies approached the home and located a male subject, whom they later identified as 24-year-old Jordan Michael Lewis of Covelo. Lewis reportedly appeared to be holding a rifle and was commanded multiple times to drop the weapon, according to the sheriff’s office.
Though Lewis allegedly refused initially, he ultimately dropped it and claimed it was a BB gun.
He then went back inside despite being commanded not to do so, and emerged again while allegedly smoking from a glass pipe and surrendered, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities say that, during the investigation, deputies obtained evidence that Lewis had been burglarizing the residence and had taken possession of a vehicle at the property. The vehicle reportedly contained stolen property.
The rifle was later confirmed to be a BB gun, according to the press release.
Lewis was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary, vehicle theft, and resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer. He was also arrested on two misdemeanor, no-cite warrants issued in Mendocino County.
A search of his person allegedly revealed suspected methamphetamine, leading to an additional charge of possession of a controlled substance.
Lewis was transported and booked into the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office jail and held on $27,500 bail, according to authorities.
