This morning, December 30, at 12:56, residents of a home in the 1600 block of Hilyard called 911 to report an unknown person in their basement. A woman at the home reported hearing someone attempting to kick down her basement door. The house’s residents evacuated and police arrived.
When patrol officers arrived, they had Officer Owen Griffith and K9 Cwyk with them. They admonished the individual inside and outside the home. Because the suspect was concealed in an area filled with numerous items and entry by officers without use of a canine would pose a safety risk, Officer Griffith had K9 Cwyk enter the basement along with officers during a search. Cwyk located the suspect hiding in a small crawl space, which appeared to have been barricaded, and helped take the suspect into custody. The suspect, identified as Steven Hughes Purkey, age 41, was found to be in possession of methamphetamine.
Purkey was evaluated by Eugene Springfield Fire EMS on scene and then transported to the Lane County Jail on charges of Criminal Trespass in the First Degree and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.