Police: Man went door-to-door with rifle, American flag

Police say a man stole a rifle and an American flag from a Springfield home, and then — holding both — went door-to-door screaming that he was looking for his wife and child.

Vernon Jordan, 49, was charged Tuesday with burglary, stealing a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Police say they contacted a woman on Monday in the 900 block of West Woodlawn who had found a rifle in her backyard, but didn’t know who put it there. She told officers that she had seen a shirtless man walking away from her home, however.

A neighbor of the victims of the alleged burglary said she had seen a man in the backyard of 2526 N. Franklin Ave. and confronted him.

The woman told police the man had said he was with the military, and that “she better not get in his way or he would take care of her.”

He then jumped a fence and left the yard. The woman said she found some mail the man had dropped that belonged to the residents of the house at 2526 N. Franklin Ave.

Police later detained Jordan, who had been positively identified by a witness as the suspect.

Officers then reported to the alleged burglary scene, where they found several broken windows and doors. A resident of the home told officers that a rifle had been stolen from the house, and when shown the gun found in the backyard, said it was his.

Another resident said she’d recently washed an American flag — one that was no longer in their laundry room when she checked for it.

Police say they later interviewed Jordan, who told them he remembered “waking up after walking around for days.” He told them he remembered picking up a flag and a “Buffalo soldier gun,” but said he found the gun in a barn.

Jordan has previous convictions for assault and statutory sodomy. His bond was set at $25,000.