By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to a Wheatland St. location last Sunday on reports of a motor vehicle break in progress, and that the suspect was being detained.

Upon arrival, the officers were flagged down by a man and directed into the side lot where four other men were standing next to a motor vehicle and a male sitting inside on the driver’s side with the door open.

As the officers approached, one of the men – the reporting party – stated that the man sitting in the vehicle, later identified as Keith Francey, broke into it and that the vehicle belonged to his mother.

Police asked Francey to step out of the vehicle and placed him into handcuffs for their safety and until they ascertained the facts in the matter.

The officers reportedly observed damage to the vehicle, as the dashboard seemed to be pulled away from the steering column.

Police asked Francey what he was doing in the vehicle and he reportedly stated, “I don’t know, where am I?” The officers told him where he was and then pat frisked him for weapons. While conducting the pat frisk, an officer felt loose coins in every pocket and removed a small folding knife from his front right pocket.

The owner of the car told police that she could not remember if she locked her vehicle when she parked it, but she did not give permission to anyone to enter her vehicle. She also stated that her dashboard was not damaged when she parked the car and that there was around $5.00 in loose change missing from the vehicle. She further stated she had no idea who the suspect was or why he was in her vehicle.

Police then informed Francey that he was under arrest and asked if he stole the elderly lady’s money would he give it back to her, to which he agreed. $4.53 in loose change was returned to the victim.

Francey was taken in for booking, charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering and defacement of property.