Suspect jailed in burglary at Henderson mayor’s home
A break-in at Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen‘s home in May was part of a series of crimes in the same neighborhood committed by two teenagers, police say.
A 19-year-old man arrested in mid-June during one of the burglaries was carrying a Beretta handgun stolen from Hafen‘s house a month earlier, and a search of his home turned up a revolver taken in a third burglary, Henderson police said in court documents.
Arias D. Jefferson Jr. is now in the Clark County Detention Center facing charges including burglary, grand larceny and possession of stolen property. A juvenile, who police said was his accomplice, was also arrested. The juvenile was not identified.
Hafen‘s home was burglarized on May 15 while he was out for a walk, having left a door unlocked, police said. Two iPads, an iPhone, a gun, some jewelry and a camera were stolen from the mayor of a city long proud of its low crime rate.
On June 19, Henderson police caught Jefferson and another man in the act of breaking into a home on South Chesapeake Way, officer Donald Teti wrote in a sworn declaration filed in court.
A neighbor called police just after 5 a.m. and reported seeing two men get out of a car, knock on a door of the home on Chesapeake Way, then jump a wall into the yard. Officers found a window screen removed and a sliding glass door open. An officer could see two people, including one carrying a Beretta, walking inside the house.
One of the teens spotted police outside and yelled to the other, and the two ran out of the house in different directions, one ditching the Beretta, police said.
When police caught Jefferson, he told them where he lived, and his girlfriend let officers search the house, Teti wrote in a court filing. Police said they found stolen items in the house including a .22-caliber revolver, ammunition, a gun case and two cameras.
Jefferson admitted to stealing the Beretta from Hafen‘s home himself, police said, but told officers someone else gave him the .22, which was stolen in a June 18 burglary.
All three break-ins were within a few blocks of each other west of downtown Henderson, as was the home where Jefferson was living.
Detectives would not discuss the break-in at Hafen‘s home because it‘s still under investigation, Henderson police spokeswoman Michelle French said. Hafen didn‘t return a call seeking comment Thursday.
Jefferson is scheduled to appear in Clark County District Court for arraignment on burglary and other charges July 24. And he‘s due back in Henderson Justice Court on Aug. 6 on a charge of possessing stolen property.
Court records did not list an attorney for Jefferson, and an official with the public defender’s office didn‘t return a call Thursday.
Contact Eric Hartley at ehartley@reviewjournal.com or 702-550-9229. Find him on Twitter: @ethartley
