After arresting three men who allegedly burglarized a Gresham home Friday, Feb. 22, police discovered one to be a notorious panty thief.
Gresham residents Calvin Shadley, 21, Adam Nichols, 19, and Austin Allen, 19, were arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 25 on several charges of burglary, attempted burglary and theft.
A witness told police she watched three men checking door handles of various homes in her neighborhood around 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22. She saw the men enter the backyard of a home in the 2900 block of Southeast Maple Place, and believing they were burglars, decided to call Gresham police.
The responding officer discovered the men carrying household items and duffle bags alongside a home in the 2900 block of Southeast Vista Way. When the men saw the officer, they dropped the items they were carrying and ran.
Officers soon found Shadley and Allen hiding in nearby bushes. Police later arrested Nichols in the 2500 block of Northeast Street, less than a mile from his home.
The residents of the home where police first spotted the three men identified the items as having been stolen from inside their home, police said.
Police believe the men removed the screen window and crawled into the house.
The three men confessed to the burglary, police said.
Then, Shadley went on to reveal several other robberies and his motive.
He told police he often burglarizes homes in order to steal women's underwear, police said.
He admitted to robbing a home in the 2100 block of Southwest Cerise Way in Troutdale three times since 2010. He also told police he had broken into a home in the 1700 block of Southeast 26th Court in Gresham in 2012, a home in the 1200 block of Southeast Stapleton Loop in Gresham in 2012, and an apartment in the 1300 block of Northeast 23rd St. in Gresham on Saturday, Feb. 26.
Nichols and Allen face two counts of first-degree attempted burglary, one count of first-degree burglary and one count of first-degree theft.
In addition, Shadley faces 10 counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree attempted burglary and one count of first-degree theft.
The three men lived together in an apartment in the 3500 block of Northeast 17th Street, said Lt. Claudio Grandjean, Gresham Police spokesman. But Grandjean couldn't say why Shadley stole women's underwear.
Police believe the trio is responsible for more burglaries, as well.
Detectives recovered items they believe came from a burglary in Portland's west hills area: a white Emerson microwave, an iHome brand portable speaker system and a 35 mm Pentax K-100 camera.
Police are still trying to find the victims. They're also asking any women who had underwear stolen from their home to contact the Gresham Police tip line, at 503-618-2719 or 888-989-3505.