A Mesa man has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars in police equipment from an unmarked Tempe police vehicle.
Jaylon Chase Gordon, 29, has been charged with burglary and theft after he allegedly stole $1,800 in police equipment from an unmarked vehicle in January.
Police say Gordon went to the Rio Salado Sportsman's Club shooting range near Ellsworth and Usery Park roads and took a bullet proof vest with a body camera, two pistol magazines, and a utility pouch from the vehicle.
Police say the victim may have accidentally unlocked his vehicle with the key fob, as he was training.
A witness reported to Mesa police that Gordon was the person responsible for the crime. Gordon was located and stopped by police in May.
Gordon allegedly admitted to police that he took the vest and traded it to a neighbor for $10 in marijuana. He said the neighbor was concerned that the body camera could be tracked by GPS and smashed it.
Police say video from Gordon's phone shows he was there at the time of the theft.
The police equipment has not been located.
