On Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at 3:52 a.m., Central Precinct patrol and Neighborhood Response Team officers responded to the report of a burglary at Woof and Meow, located at 3562 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard.
When officers arrived they contacted the owner of the location and learned a rock had been thrown through the front door and the cash register removed from the store. While officers investigated the burglary at the Woof and Meow, another burglary was reported at Toadstool Cupcakes, located at 3557 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard.
As officers investigated both burglaries they obtained, viewed, and seized as evidence, surveillance video from both business. Based on the surveillance footage, officers believed the same suspect was responsible for both burglaries. Stills of the surveillance video were disseminated to Portland Police Bureau members and a criminalist in the Portland Police Bureau's Forensic Evidence Division provided a possible identity of the burglary suspect.
Officers responded to the burglary suspect's residence in the 800 block of Southeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard. The suspect was located at his residence and taken into custody without incident. Officers applied for and received a search warrant for the suspect's residence. During the search of the residence, investigators located evidence of the burglaries.
The suspect has been identified as 62-year-old Melvin L. Tillman. Tillman is was lodged in the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Burglary in the First Degree (three counts), Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree (three counts), and Theft in the Third Degree (two counts).
Investigators believe Tillman is responsible for burglaries at the following locations:
* Communion (3556 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard) on January 11, 2018
* Woof and Meow (3562 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard) on February 14, 2018
* Toadstool Cupcakes (3557 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard) on February 14, 2018
The burglary investigations continue and officers believe Tillman is likely connected to additional burglaries in the Sunnyside Neighborhood. Anyone with information about Tillman should contact Central Precinct Neighborhood Response Team Officer Matthew Jacobsen at 503-823-0097 or Matthew.Jacobsen@portlandporegon.gov
The Portland Police Bureau and the City of Portland's Crime Prevention Program have some tips for burglary victims:
*Cameras - Use a camera surveillance system that captures clear images under all lighting conditions. Install security cameras at entry points, over cash registers and parking lots at angles that reveal facial and other features of suspicious individuals. Make sure employees know how to access footage for police.
*Report suspicious activity -- If you observe someone acting suspiciously, call the police at 9-1-1 for immediate threats to life or property. Otherwise you can call them at the non-emergency number at 503-823-3333.
If your Portland business would like some guidance about improving the security of your establishment, contact the City of Portland's Crime Prevention Program at 503-823-4064, onicpa@portlandoregon.gov or www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/cp
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