Burglar Caught Red (Wine) Handed In Portland, Police Say

PORTLAND, OR — An accused serial burglar of Portland-area apartment and condominium storage units — with an apparent expensive taste in wine — was arrested Sunday after investigators found his fingerprints (and saw him on security camera footage) at the scene of a January burglary.

Jeffrey James LaFraniere, 35, was taken to Multnomah County Jail on 20 separate charges, most of which are thefts and burglaries. His bail is set at $565,000.

Central Precinct officers with the Portland Police Bureau arrested LaFraniere at a residence in the 700-block of Southwest Saint Clair Avenue in downtown Portland around 8:45 a.m. March 4, following a three-month investigation into nine separate burglaries.

Though police officials have named LaFraniere as a suspect in all nine cases, at this time he has only been charged for one of the burglaries.

The specific burglary investigation that led to LaFraniere's arrest began Jan. 21 in the 2200-block of Southwest Park Place Avenue.

The burglary victim told police someone broke into her condo's storage unit, located off the property's secure basement parking lot, where she kept bottles of wine valued at several thousand dollars.

A 1998 Château Margaux, bottles of Château Lynch-Bages from the 1990s, and a Château Montelena were among the 18 to 24 bottles taken, court documents show. But to get to the more expensive bottles, police said LaFraniere had to move other bottles out of the way — which reportedly left fingerprints.

Additionally, LaFraniere was recorded on the condo's security surveillance, police said, noting that LaFraniere even looked directly at the camera at one point.

After detectives released to other precincts a wanted bulletin that included LaFraniere's image, a Central Precinct officer said he recognized LaFraniere and knew where to find him.

LaFraniere was taken into custody without incident Sunday morning; afterward, the arresting officer told him some of his charges.

"Apartment storage units, that's all I f----- with," LaFraniere reportedly blurted in response to the accusations before inexplicably adding, "and parking garages."

LaFraniere was reportedly much less chatty with the officer who was sent to interview him and provide a recommendation to the court regarding his release, declining his recognizance interview and refusing to sign the jail paperwork.

Already convicted of 11 felonies and six misdemeanors, which are also mostly burglaries and thefts, LaFraniere is suspected of the following additional burglaries at:

• Asa Lofts — 1200 N.W. Marshall St.;
• Park Place Condos — 2245 N.W. Park Place;
• Legends Condos — 1132 N.W. 19th Ave.;
• Lexis on the Park — 1125 N.W. Ninth Ave.;
• Westerly Condos — 2351 N.W. Westover Rd.;
• Cambridge Condos — 2460 N.W. Westover Rd.;
• Grays Landing — 0650 S.W. Lowell Ave.; and
• Park Regent Apartments — 1949 N.W. Everett St.

Portland police detectives reportedly believe LaFraniere either followed other people who had legal access into the secure buildings or gained entry by forcing doors open, noting he may be responsible for other burglaries in the Pearl, Northwest, and South Portland neighborhoods between January and March.

Anyone with information about LaFraniere or other storage unit burglaries is encouraged to call burglary Detective Joseph Corona at 503-823-4800, or email Joseph.Corona@portlandoregon.gov.

Image via Portland Police Bureau