DeSean Jackson home burglary remains 'open investigation,' Philly cops say

The uncertainty surrounding whether banged-up DeSean Jackson will play in this weekend's Eagles-Redskins game will be resolved by kickoff Sunday.

But a mystery the former Eagle left behind when he departed Philadelphia remains unsolved. Nine months after thieves ransacked Jackson's South Philadelphia residence on Pietro Way and stole an estimated $150,000 in cash and jewels, the case remains an "open investigation," said police department spokesman Lt. John Stanford.

Jackson's spokesman, Bobby McRae, said detectives have not updated Jackson in months.

"We haven't heard anything recently," McRae said this week. "No updates. Nothing."

From the start, there was confusion about what, and how much, was actually stolen from Jackson's house sometime between Jan. 8 and Jan. 11.

Jackson's mother, Gayle, had initially told police the thieves burgled an estimated $250,000 in cash, jewelry, two firearms, and other property. That amount was ratcheted down in March to $20,000 in cash, a DVR security system, a handgun, and a Rolex valued at $110,000.

The Eagles suddenly cut Jackson the same day police reduced the estimated value of the stolen items.

Gayle Jackson's statement and other details were never released publicly but are found in the initial police report by the first-responding officers. Philly.com obtained the report through an open-records request.

One detail from the report's "Description of Incident" reads: "Complainant stated only he has access to the safe, but left safe key in bedroom dresser drawer. Complainant stated at least 5-10 people have access combination to front door."

Stanford, the police department spokesman, did not respond to questions about detectives' attempts to interview those five to 10 people who had access to Jackson's home.

The initial report's account of the burglary begins with McRae, who "secured the property" at 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 8.

Three days later, Jackson's mother entered the house at 12:30 a.m. and "noticed complainant's bedroom in disarray."

"McRae returned and both he/witness noticed bedroom safe open and security system DVR taken from garage."

The townhouse is an end unit in a quiet, secluded development called Siena Place. The recently built development is two miles from Lincoln Financial Field.

Public records indicate the townhouse on the 3200 block of Pietro Way where Jackson was living is owned by Pennrose Properties. Records indicate he never personally owned the property.

The neighborhood is studded with surveillance cameras, based on a reporter's recent inspection. A small, round surveillance camera, facing away from the door toward the street, hangs above the front door to Jackson's townhouse. Another surveillance camera, also facing out toward Pietro Way, hangs above the front door of the unit directly across the narrow street from Jackson's. Cameras could be seen in both directions of the only street leading away from the development — nearby Hartranft Street.

It was not clear if police had access to any surveillance footage taken from those cameras.

That initial report listed the items taken, specifically, as, "DVR security system, jewelry, USC, and two handguns (model/serial unknown at this time)" — and that the complainant placed the value of the stolen property at $250,000.  It is unclear if the complainant referred to throughout the report is Gayle Jackson or her son, though at least once the report describes the complainant as a "he."

McRae, when asked this week about all the confusion involving what was taken and the property value, said he didn't want to rehash the incident.

"That was a year ago," he said. "I'm not looking to give you guys a story at this point in light of this upcoming game."