Suspect charged in two home burglaries that occurred in 2009

Baker City Police on Tuesday arrested a teenage boy suspected of burglarizing two eastside homes late last year while the residents were inside.

Cody Nelson, 16, of 1992 Plum St., was arrested at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at his home, Sgt. Kirk McCormick said. Nelson was taken to The Dalles where he is being held in detention on two counts of first-degree burglary, a Class A felony.

 At a Wednesday hearing in Baker County Juvenile Court, Judge Greg Baxter ordered that Nelson be held at The Dalles until the next detention review hearing Feb. 25, said Bryan Dalke, Juvenile Department counselor.

The first incidence took place between the night of Nov. 19 and Nov. 20. A burglar entered Christina and Russell Witham’s home through an unlocked window, McCormick said. A computer valued at $5,000, which the Withams use in their home-based business, Oregon Sign Co., was taken. The computer has not been recovered, McCormick said.

Two weeks later, the nearby home of J.W. and Ruth Heaton was burglarized. McCormick said the burglar first entered the couple’s shop between the night of Dec. 3 and the morning of Dec. 4.

A set of keys, including one to the Heatons’ house, was taken from a vehicle inside the shop, McCormick said. Police believe the burglar then used the key to enter the couple’s home while Ruth Heaton was out for a walk that morning and her husband was inside.

Police recovered Ruth Heaton’s purse, which contained a BlackBerry cell phone, cash and house keys. A laptop computer, a coat and other items have not been recovered, McCormick said.

Baker City does not usually have a high rate of residential burglaries and these two were different than most, McCormick said.

“The people were home, that’s what makes them unusual,” he said. “Normally (home burglaries) take place when people are at work.”