CHAMBERSBURG — Chambersburg Police charged a 27-year-old man with burglary, access device fraud and drug possession after he allegedly entered an elderly woman’s home, stole her purse, and attempted to use her credit and debit cards to withdraw money.
Jason Rogers as charged in connection to the incident, which occurred on Westgate Drive. Two other suspects were also taken into custody on outstanding arrest warrants during the investigation, Chambersburg Police say.
According to police, the victim woke up Tuesday to discover her back door was ajar and her purse, which was hanging on a closet door inside her home, was missing.
Officers investigating the incident obtained photos from a local ATM that showed a male suspect attempting to use the victim’s debit and credit cards to withdraw money. Police say the victim’s neighbors pointed out a residence in the neighborhood where they say suspicious activity had been seen.
Shortly after police left the crime scene, the victim called to say they saw a white male leaving the residence in question. He left in a vehicle that police say was uniquely identifiable. Police located the vehicle on the 1500 block of Philadelphia Avenue. The driver, later identified as Wyatt Henry, was known to police and had an active felony warrant for burglary issued by State Police in the Chambersburg barracks. He was taken into custody, police say.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that a suspect, later identified as Rogers, was at the residence in the victim’s Westgate Drive neighborhood pointed out by neighbors. Also there was Rogers’ girlfriend, Kristen Meadows, who had outstanding warrants from Dauphin County, Gettysburg and Texas for drugs, theft, assault and DUI, police say. Both were taken into custody.
Rogers was found to be in possessio of methamphetamine and related paraphernalia at the time of his arrest, police say.
After speaking to the involved parties, police were able to determine that a group of subjects went to Baltimore the night before in order to purchase drugs. Upon returning to their Westgate Drive address, where they had been staying temporarily with the owner of the residence, they discovered the front door was locked. Rogers went around to the back of the residence, seeking entry from the rear, and accidentally entered the victim’s house through an unlocked door.
After determining he was in the wrong home, and that the victim had already gone to bed for the night, Rogers returned to the house later and stole the purse, police say. He allegedly attempted to use credit and debit cards taken from the purse at several locations. Police were able to recover the purse and most of its contents on June 13.
Rogers is currently in Franklin County Jail awaiting arraignment, police say.
