Felony charges have been leveled against a would-be jewel thief whose heist was foiled for a second time this year by a homeowner.
The suspect, Jonathan Franzen, 32, has been bound to the grand jury on burglary and grand theft charges for his latest unsuccessful caper. His arrest came after police responded to a burglary call where a homeowner had caught Franzen red-handed inside his house.
“He was able to free himself from the homeowner and flee on foot,” said policeman Aaron Roberts. “He was pursued by nearby contractors.”
Franzen was caught by patrolman Roberts on South Chancery Street.
“He admitted to being in the house without the homeowner’s permission,” Roberts revealed.
A search of the suspect brought compelling evidence. In his front pocket, the officer found numerous pieces of jewelry valued at $2,500, adding a second felony to his tab.
For Franzen, it was the second time his alleged crimes have been foiled. This summer he and Eric Ridge were caught trying to enter a home. In that case, Ridge was captured by a neighbor. The neighbor brought along a 12-gauge shotgun to make sure Ridge didn’t run away. Franzen, the alleged driver of the getaway vehicle, fled the scene despite a warning shot fired by the gun-toting neighbor.
When he was caught, Franzen maintained they thought they were going to a party that included drugs and girls. His claim came despite the fact it was the middle of the night and his partner in crime was wearing gloves on a warm night. He also said he came to McMinnville to get a fresh start. He is still awaiting trial for his part in the first foiled burglary.