A cocker spaniel’s bark took a bite out of crime early Wednesday when a burglar slipped into a Medford home through an open window.

When the 6-foot-2, 200-pound burglar tried to enter a bedroom occupied by residents of a home in the 1400 block of North Keeneway Drive at about 3 a.m., a normally timid dog named Cassie went into attack mode, her owner said.

"She growled and alerted my husband, who yelled ‘Cassie, get him!’ " said the woman, who did not want to be identified.

"The guy ran back out of the house and dove out the window he came in through," she said. "He had no idea if a pit bull was after him or what. He just knew a dog was after him, growling and barking."

The residents phoned police, who responded to the area and within minutes arrested two Medford men suspected of committing the burglary.

Advertisement

Ronald Wayne Peoples, 25, of the 2100 block of Brookhurst Avenue, and Brandon Lee Gillespie, 18, of the 900 block of Royal Court were lodged in the Jackson County Jail, where they remained late Wednesday on first-degree burglary charges. Bail for each man was set at $20,000, according to a jail spokeswoman.

Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said Peoples used a folding knife to cut through a screen on an open kitchen window and enter the home. Police believe Gillespie acted as a "lookout" during the burglary, Moran said.

Peoples allegedly walked to a bedroom where the home’s residents slept and opened the door. Little did he know that Cassie, a diminutive 4-year-old black cocker spaniel, was prepared to protect her owners.

"She’s actually a very timid dog, which makes this so funny," said Cassie’s owner. "I mean, she’s afraid of her own shadow."

The woman was able to laugh about the burglary on Wednesday afternoon, but admitted it was "terrifying at the time."

"We’ve been treating (Cassie) all day long — calling her our hero," she said. "We’re going to start calling her a ‘pit cocker.’"

Moran said Peoples was wearing footwear that matched a shoeprint found near the kitchen sink, where he is alleged to have entered the home.

On hot nights, it’s normal for people to want to keep their windows open, Moran said. Police recommend keeping windows cracked at night only if they can be stabilized with a stick or lock, to prevent someone from sneaking through.

But in some cases, man’s best friend can be just as effective in foiling a burglar’s plan.

"Dogs seem to work pretty well," Moran said.

Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail jmoran@mailtribune.com