John Morgan Hughes could have to buy another pair of golden handcuffs.
After recently honoring the detective who solved a series of break-ins in his neighborhood, Hughes’ Highland Circle Drive home was again broken into.
And like last time, Hughes and his fiancé, Brittany Davis, were asleep at home and asleep when the incident occurred.
“We just did the whole thing two weeks ago honoring Det. Sharon Jordan,” he said. “It’s ironic.”
In each case, Hughes said the house’s lights were on, and it was apparent that he and his fiancé were home.
Hughes, a government affairs consultant is reinforcing his home’s doors and windows, and is working to reestablish the LOHO homeowners association.
“We … are working with the team at JPD (Jackson Police Department) to apprehend these suspects just like we did in August,” he said in an e-mail to neighbors.
The break-in occurred in the early morning hours of Thursday, November 30.
Davis was awakened at around 3:30, after burglars tripped the alarm.
“My fiancé woke me up and said, ‘someone has just kicked in the back door,’ ” Hughes said.
“I grabbed my pistol, hopped up and (got) in place so I could get a draw on the (bedroom) door where they couldn’t get a draw on me,” he said. “My inclination was to go into the kitchen, but I’m glad I didn’t.”
Police believe three suspects were involved in the case, based on an anonymous tip.
The crooks took Davis’ purse and keys before fleeing the scene in her white, 2013 Infiniti G37.
The vehicle had not been recovered at press time.
“JPD tells us other homes were broken into, but I’m not aware of any,” he said.
Jordan, whose work led to the arrests of five suspects in the August break-ins, doesn’t believe the cases are related.
“This is another group of criminals,” she said. “I’ve told John Morgan to tell everyone to be on high alert.”
Jordan declined to comment further, saying the case was still under investigation.
In August, crooks broke into at least four houses in the Highland Circle area, including Hughes’.
Suspects attempted to steal Davis’ Infinity then, but dropped the car keys during their escape, police say.
Arrests were made after a suspect was caught using a victims’ credit card at a South Jackson I-Hop.
Two of the suspects, Curtis Wilson of Jackson, and Leon Miles III of Vicksburg, were being held at the Rankin County Detention Center.
Three others, Joshua Harper, Kunjara Jackson and Darius Walsh, all of Vicksburg, were released on bond.
All five were being charged with felony counts of accessory after the fact, auto theft, burglary of an occupied dwelling and auto burglary.
The suspects in the November break-in will likely also be charged with felony counts of house burglary and auto theft.
District Cmdr. James McGowan said the suspects will not be facing home invasion charges, which are more serious.
McGowan said home invasions “depend on the level of contact made (between the crooks) and the person inside the house. Home invasion is when they go into the house with the intent to rob the person, not (burglarize) the house.”
