An Ocala man and woman were arrested after they allegedly broke into their deceased next-door neighbor’s home and stole power tools.
Katlyn Rachelle McLeroy, 26, was charged with grand theft from a dwelling of items valued between $100 and $300, unarmed burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, and criminal mischief with damage between $200 and $1,000. In February, she completed a 10-month stint in jail for drug and weapons possession.
William Lynn Price was charged with grand theft from a dwelling of items valued between $100 and $750, unarmed burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, and criminal mischief with damage between $200 and $1,000.
A neighbor contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on May 13 to report a burglary in progress at a residence in the 5700 block of NE 4th Place. The witness said she saw a man and woman – later identified as Price and McLeroy – entering the vacant residence and removing items. She said she saw Price and McLeroy carry a table saw from the home and place it in the back of a red truck, and then Price remove an air compressor from the home, according to the sheriff’s office report.
A deputy arrived at the location and found Price and McLeroy in the front yard of their residence, which is directly west and next door to the burglarized home. The witness showed the deputy video of Price and McLeroy entering the building and coming out with the items, the report said.
The deputy saw a Wagner air compressor, valued at $200 sitting next to a red truck in Price and McLeroy’s front yard. Inside the bed of the truck was a Delta table saw valued at $70, along with a Craftsman weed eater ($70), Black and Decker weed eater ($40), Black and Decker edger ($50), and a package of weed eater line ($10), according to the report.
The deputy observed a section of the window at the rear of the burglarized residence was removed. The rivets on the window were broken and the screen was cut. Inside the home, the latch on the door entering the kitchen was damaged, and the ceiling was damaged with large holes and insulation on the ground. The deputy also saw a yard tool with what appeared to be drywall pieces sitting on a desk in the bedroom. Damage to the drywall and latch was estimated to be $500, the report said.
The owner of the house told the deputy it belonged to her father, who is deceased. She said she is the executor of his estate and she wants to pursue charges against McLeroy and Price. When told of the damage to the residence, she said there was no prior damage to the screen, latch, and bedroom ceiling, according to the report.
The deputy spoke with Price, who admitted to removing the saw and air compressor from the residence. Asked about the weed eaters and wedger, he said they didn’t put them in the truck and they didn’t belong to him. When asked who placed them in the truck, Price said there was only one person with him but wouldn’t say directly it was McLeroy, the report said.
Price told the deputy he wasn’t sure how he heard it, but he believed the incident location might belong to McLeroy’s mother. He said when he spoke with McLeroy about taking the items, she didn’t stop him so he thought it was OK. Price acknowledged he didn’t have permission from the owner to enter the home and remove the property, according to the report.
McLeroy told the deputy she was standing outside her residence when law enforcement just showed up. When asked questions about the incident, she responded with, “I don’t know.” Told there was video about the incident and asked why it took place, she said “hard times” were responsible for her taking the items. McLeroy didn’t say anything else and answered further questions with, “I don’t know.”
McLeroy and Price were arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where bond was set for both at $13,000. McLeroy was released Wednesday, May 19, while Price is still being held. Both will appear in Marion County Court on June 15.