October 26, 2022 10:10 a.m.
Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office jailed three people following a reported burglary Tuesday evening in the 6000 block of Upper Cow Creek Road in the Azalea area.
A DCSO report said the person who contacted dispatch indicated that they were the manager of the property, which had recently been seized by the Denver office of the Internal Revenue Service. The man was able to provide proof to backup what he said. The manager said he had driven by the property and noticed three vehicles parked in front of the house.
Deputies responded to the residence and encountered six people who were detained without incident. Three people said they had just arrived at the property from California, so that one of them could visit a relative they hadn’t seen in over 15 years. All three said they had no idea that the property had been seized and that they weren’t allowed there. Their stories matched each other’s and two of the other men at the residence confirmed what the trio had said. The three people were released and advised to leave the property.
The other three people were interviewed and advised that they had been at the home when they were evicted and admitted they had been told that the property had been seized by the IRS. The group said even so, they continued to stay inside the residence every once in awhile and wanted to fix it up. One man admitted to living on the property full time for the past few weeks. While questioning him, a deputy noticed that his hands were covered in blood. The suspect said he was skinning a deer in the shed. Deputies found two does hanging in the shed. Both were skinned. The man admitted to not having a hunting license and to killing them both with a shotgun. Oregon State Police game troopers responded and seized the shotgun and the two does, issuing the suspect a handful of game violation citations.
The trio were identified as 46-year old John Serowchak of Dillard, 31-year old Dan Vineyard-a transient, and 30-year old Kimberly Tadder of Dillard. They were jailed on charges of first-degree burglary, second-degree trespass and for theft of services. They were held without bail.