Portland couple arrested in Vancouver for years of crime
By Jeffrey Lindblom
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PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — Police have arrested a Portland woman, alleging that she and her partner are connected to crimes that date back as far as two years ago.
The couple is believed to have burglarized post offices, robbed mail carriers at gunpoint and are suspected of breaking into someone’s home.
Investigators said surveillance video captured the Portland couple, 43-year-old Melissa Ann Maxwell and Corey James Jackson, allegedly stealing from a USPS center in southwest Portland. Court documents said Jackson was seen climbing a fence and using a sledgehammer to break into the building and steal a large tub of mail.
“That’s really scary,” a woman FOX12 caught up with on the street, said. “You don’t want your personal information out there. If people are out there and doing that, I don’t like to hear it.”
Court documents explained Maxwell was arrested October 3 at a Vancouver hotel.
A warrant alleged she is connected to two USPS Center burglaries in Portland over the last year. Police say she and Jackson, who has evaded police in Vancouver and is still at large, were captured on surveillance video breaking into post office buildings and stealing parcels of mail, which included more than $1,000 in cash and more than $600 in checks.
“Portland’s gotten a little weirder in the recent past,” the woman said.
Following Maxwell’s arrest, a search warrant of the vehicle believed to be the same one Jackson used to evade police was obtained. Court documents showed photos of several items inside the vehicle, including U.S. mail carrier keys and a pellet gun, which is a weapon that may have been used during three mail carrier robberies happening over the last couple years. Photos captured on nearby surveillance show mail carriers appearing to be held gun point.
Earlier in the year, police said Maxwell confessed in an interview with investigators that she and her partner robbed a home in Tigard. She said they stole a safe that contained firearms which the couple used in their crimes “I don’t like weirdos running around and stealing and robbing and doing any of that,” the woman said.
Maxwell and Jackson are also suspected to have robbed four Portland area marijuana dispensaries at gunpoint, which court documents said took place over a three-month period.
“It’s very concerning,” said a man who had just bought something from one of the dispensaries robbed. “I feel really bad for these dispensaries.”
“You would just want to be laid back going to the pot shop,” the woman added. “That’s for sure.”
The two are charged with a laundry list of things including robbery, kidnapping, coercion, unlawful use of a weapon, etc. Court documents explained they are charged with more than 50 counts of criminal activity, many of them including the use of a firearm.
“I don’t want to be robbed anywhere,” the woman said. “That could be standing right here. No thank you.”
Maxwell was arraigned a week ago and pled not guilty.
Jackson remains at large.
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