Cushing man accused of breaking into neighbor’s shed

STILLWATER — A 57-year-old Cushing man accused of breaking into a neighbor’s shed from which a leaf blower was taken has been jailed on $2,500 bond pending his arraignment Tuesday on a second-degree burglary charge.

   If convicted, James Eric Dowling, who previously lived in Drumright, could be given as much as a seven-year prison term, according to the felony charge filed last week.

   Cushing Police Officer Jonathan Walker had been called to a house on E. Fifth Street at 3:59 pm on April 16 on a report of a burglary, according to his affidavit.

   The property owner stated, “she had footage of a male entering into the shed at the back of the property and leaving with her leaf blower,” the affidavit alleged.

   When the officer arrived at her house at 4:09 pm and spoke to the owner through her RING camera, she said “she was out of town but did have footage of the incident,” the affidavit said.

   She “was able to provide me with several photographs, which showed James Eric Dowling, who I knew from previous contacts, on the property wearing black gloves appearing to be walking towards the shed. I observed Dowling on the property walking away from the shed with a leaf blower in another photograph,” the officer alleged in his affidavit.

   At about 4:20 pm, the officer observed Dowling in the back yard of his residence; “I asked Dowling where the leaf blower was that he had taken from the shed. Dowling pointed to the open shed near where we were standing.

   “I observed a red Troy-Bilt leaf blower sitting inside the shed on the ground with black gloves, which appeared to be the same gloves Dowling was wearing in the photographs, sitting on the ground next to it. Dowling stated that was the leaf blower he took,” the officer alleged in his affidavit.

   After arresting Dowling, the officer called the property owner, who said she did not know Dowling, the affidavit said.

   She said that the shed had a padlock, the affidavit said.

   “I advised (her) that her leaf blower would be held for safekeeping and returned to her whenever she came to the Cushing Police Department,” the officer wrote in his affidavit.