A Janesville man was arrested on burglary related charges early Sunday morning after police say he was caught red-handed with stolen property that tied him to burglaries at both McKinley Elementary and the Forest Service Yard on Fifth Street.
According to details released by the Susanville Police Department, at about 4:30a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of the Forest Service Yard and Grand Avenue after receiving a report that a suspicious person was walking inside the gated area.
“Lassen County Sheriff’s Deputies and Susanville Police Officers arrived and began an area search,” explains Susanville Chief of Police Ryan Cochran. “A deputy located a subject who matched the description and identified him as 44-year-old Janesville resident Jeremy Paul Swartz.”
Swartz had several no-bail warrants and was arrested by the deputy.
“During a subsequent search of Swartz’s backpack, Officers located radios that belonged to the Forest Service as well as a laptop computer. A check of the computer came back to an employee of McKinley School.”
Officers checked the school grounds and located a building that had been broken into.
“Items reported missing from the school were found inside the backpack Swartz had in his possession.”
Swartz, after being arrested for his outstanding warrants, was booked into the Lassen County Jail on new charges of Burglary, Possession of Stolen Property, Possession of Burglary Tools, Vandalism and Trespassing.
“We would like to thank the reporting party who was in the area and reported this suspicious activity. Our citizens are encouraged to contact authorities when they see this type of activity so it can be investigated quickly, and the responsible person be held accountable.”
The case has been referred to the District Attorney for prosecution.
