Orcas man charged with burglary and theft

Jordan Colin Lynn-Jefferson, a 22-year-old Orcas Island man, has been charged with burglary in the second degree and theft in the second degree in San Juan County Superior Court.

His arraignment hearing is scheduled for Aug. 29 at 9:30 a.m.

Orcas deputies received a call from the owner of an Eastsound business regarding multiple missing items, including two black Apple iPads, a white Apple iPad, a white Apple iPhone, an Ingenico credit card reader, multiple gift cards and a cash box with $10.

According to the probable cause statement, at 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 19, the suspect entered through a window in the business that had been left ajar. Video surveillance showed a white male wearing loose baggy clothing and a dark hoodie with the hood pulled up carrying a flashlight, walking up to the business, opening a mailbox near the rear employee entrance and looking around with a flashlight.

After viewing the surveillance footage, the suspect was identified to be Lynn-Jefferson. When confronted by deputies, he was wearing the same hoodie as in the video. A white cell phone matching the description of the missing one was found on his person, and two black Apple iPads were located in his backpack in his apartment. When asked about the white iPad, credit card scanner and cash box, Lynn-Jefferson replied he may have seen it in his grandmother’s car but that his grandmother did not know they were there.

According to court documents, Lynn-Jefferson told deputies that he had been having financial difficulties, and admitted to entering the business between midnight and five a.m. He stated that he “knows the owners are hard-working people and he “felt bad” and was thinking about taking the items back to the business.

Lynn-Jefferson’s criminal history includes drug possession, disorderly conduct and escape from a detention facility. He was the first to graduate from San Juan County Adult Drug Court in July 2021. He spent 24 months in the therapeutic program, which is designed to reduce substance abuse and criminal recidivism and increase rehabilitation and community safety.