Marion County Sheriff's Deputies Identified What Appears to be a Serial Burglar in the Detroit Lake Area

Deputies are asking the residents of Detroit Lake to watch out for Shrader and to report any sightings to the Marion County Sheriff's Office by dialing 911.

Billie Shrader

(SALEM) - With the end of summer, many of the Detroit Lake residents leave their vacation homes and return to work in the city. These vacation homes, along with homes that are posted for sale, have become the target of a suspected burglar who is breaking in and "living" in them for days at a time.

Six burglaries have been reported in the past week, but deputies note that the owners are often unable to narrow down a time frame for when the crime was committed since they haven't been to their homes in weeks or even months. Entry is gained by prying doors and breaking windows. The burglar targets homes without alarm systems.

While staying in the houses, the burglar makes himself comfortable, showering, eating food and drinking liquor he finds stored there. He also takes camping gear, blankets, clothing and other staples when he leaves. On virtually every case, the suspect used a wheelbarrow to transport the stolen items. Deputies have dubbed him the "Wheelbarrow Burglar".

On October 28th a homeowner arrived at his cabin on North Santiam Highway in Idanha and discovered man sleeping in the master bedroom. When confronted, the man hurriedly fled, leaving behind some personal property that assisted us in identifying him. The owner was able to snap a cell phone photo of the suspect as he fled.

The suspect in these burglaries has been identified as 33-year old Billie Jo Shrader. Shrader is a transient who is described as 5-9, 190, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a full beard. Shrader has a criminal record for burglary and trespassing, and is wanted in Curry County for a Parole Violation. He is not known to have access to a vehicle.

Deputies are asking the residents of Detroit Lake to watch out for Shrader and to report any sightings to the Marion County Sheriff's Office by dialing 911. Anyone with any other information they'd like to pass along to deputies is encouraged to email Sr. Deputy Shawn Bush at Sbush@co.marion.or.us.

Source: Marion County Sheriff's Office

Here are video clips with the homeowner from Jerry Freeman