A suspected burglar, accused of breaking into two separate residences in the Mendenhall Valley last month, is now facing felony charges.
Jeremiah Moore Houston, 36, was indicted on three counts of first-degree burglary and one count of second-degree theft. He was arraigned in Juneau Superior Court March 10 and pleaded not guilty. He’s scheduled to stand trial June 5.
Houston was arrested Feb. 28 after police responded to an alarm at a residence on Columbia Boulevard where they found a back door kicked in but no suspect in sight. Later, police received a call about a suspicious man carrying a duffle bad in the area of View Drive near Mendenhall Loop Road (Back Loop). Police found the man, identified as Houston, in the woods nearby with a bicycle, two crow bars, and a plastic bin full of movies, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.
Police then later connected Houston to a second break-in. Several luggage tags were found with the name of a man from the 9300 block of Mendenhall Loop Road. That residence, police said, had earlier been broken into, with some $2,350 worth of items stolen. The complaint alleges Houston was in possession of that stolen property.
Houston had three pending criminal cases against him at the time of his arrest. All three were resolved March 8 with a plea agreement that netted him a suspended 30-day sentence and credit for time served. He pleaded guilty to a larceny charge dating from Oct. 31 in exchange for a 30-day sentence with 27 days suspended and credit for time, as well as restitution for the loss. He pleaded guilty to larceny after shoplifting $120 worth of tools Nov. 16, with a $200 fine imposed. A trespassing case from Nov. 23 was dismissed, as were several failures to appear.
• Contact reporter Liz Kellar at 523-2246 or liz.kellar@juneauempire.com.
