Jackson Police search for home invader
People in the town of Jackson are being urged to lock their windows and doors.
Police are looking for a man who they say is sneaking into homes in the middle of the night.
As far as officers know, the so-called prowler hasn’t stolen anything, except for a community’s ability to feel safe.
“We don’t have a lot of information to go on,” said Lt. Cole Nethercott, with the Jackson Hole Police Department.
Still, the prowler has made quite a reputation for himself, as every neighbor our news crew spoke with knew about him.
Nethercott said the man has been going into peoples’ homes before the sun comes up, attempting to get into bed and touch women — mostly in their 20s — inappropriately.
“It definitely freaked me out,” said Jackson resident Ashley Reis of when she heard about the prowler.
Three incidents involving the prowler have been reported to police. All of those incidents occurred within blocks of the police station.
Nethercott said that in each incident, a door or window was unlocked.
“I’ve always lived with my doors unlocked and my windows open at night,” said Rachel Shaver, a longtime resident of Jackson.
“I’ve lived in Jackson for a long time without ever having a key to my rental,” Reis said, admitting she’s added a new step to her bedtime routine. “Yeah, I actually have been locking the door.”
Of the three reported prowling incidents, Nethercott said the man got into bed with the victim two times. He said the subject runs off as soon as the victim wakes up. As a result, Nethercott said the police don’t have a good description of who to look for.
Nethercott also said there could be more cases that have gone unreported.
The Jackson Hole Police Department is seeking the public’s help in looking for the prowler. Anyone with information that could be useful is asked to call 307-733-1430.
