Officers with Redding’s Neighborhood Police Unit say a heroin addict told them how easy it is to support his habit through theft. On Wednesday afternoon as the unit checked on the Ponderosa Hotel in Downtown Redding. one of the officers saw 19-year-old Michael Jacob Griggs come into the parking lot. He recognized Griggs from photos and a video of an auto burglar circulating on social media. When shown the video Griggs reportedly admitted it was him, and said that’s how he supports his 50 Dollar-a-day heroin habit. He allegedly had identification cards from an unreported theft, and gave officers the locations of some of his recent break-ins, estimating he had stolen from 25 to 30 vehicles in October. He said he nearly always can spot valuables in plain sight and in most cases the cars are unlocked. He apparently said he exchanges the stolen property for heroin within 30 minutes. Griggs was arrested for burglary. A follow-up investigation led to a room at the Americana Hotel, where the NPU found five people smoking methamphetamine. Officers recognized them from previous contacts at the now-closed Redding Inn. All 5 were arrested on drug charges. Police encourage everyone to hide their valuables, lock their cars and report thefts immediately.
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