A Jackson County man was convicted Thursday and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for property crimes committed last year.

Tyler Petersen, 42, was found guilty by a Jackson County jury on one count of second-degree burglary and two counts of first-degree criminal mischief for his role in events on the night of Dec. 1, 2024. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Christine Herbert agreed with the recommended 90-month sentence based on Petersen’s past run-ins with law enforcement.

Medford police responded to assist maintenance personnel with a report of someone trapped in an elevator during non-business hours at 711 E.Main St. in Medford, according to a news release from the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.

“Maintenance personnel reported there had been repeated vandalism to the elevator and requested law enforcement investigate to determine if the trapped person had further vandalized the elevator,” the release said. “Maintenance personnel and Officer (Paul) Mellgren gained access to the elevator and found Mr. Petersen inside. It was later found Mr. Petersen had extensively damaged the elevator interior, requiring several thousand dollars in necessary repairs.”

The DA’s office said the elevator was shut down for a month for repairs, “which denied wheelchair-bound and other differently-abled persons from using the elevator during that time to access Rogue Retreat, which is the business on the second-floor at the address.”

“During his arrest, Mr. Petersen then intentionally damaged Officer Mellgren’s patrol vehicle and caused more than one thousand dollars in damage,” according to the release.

A two-day jury trial that began Tuesday resulted in the convictions.

“After hearing testimony from his parole officer, the same jury then agreed to approve sentencing enhancements for these offenses, finding that Mr. Petersen at the time was on parole after his release from prison for multiple burglary, criminal mischief, and theft convictions,” the DA’s office said. “Based on his extensive criminal record and his continued inability to be deterred from committing new property crimes in our community, the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of 90 months in prison, the maximum sentence allowed under sentencing rules.”

The prosecution was handled by Senior Deputy District Attorney Michael Cohen.