A Texas County man faces two charges – including a felony – after allegedly breaking into a house at Licking.
Daniel G. Stephens, 35, of 10085 Stone Ridge Road at Huggins, is charged with first-degree burglary (a class B felony) and property damage (a misdemeanor) following a Texas County Sheriff’s Department investigation beginning May 31.
A deputy’s written report indicates two officers responded at about 11 a.m. to a report of a burglary at a Shipp Drive residence at Licking. A woman who lives there told them she had been inside her home and heard a banging sound coming from the back door.
The woman stated she grabbed a hammer and went to investigate, and when she reached the kitchen a man burst through the door in front of her.
The woman told the officers that the man – Stephens – had been at her house about an hour before the break-in, and was driving a white SUV. The woman said the suspect was with a woman who she was familiar with, but only knew the man as “Danny.”
While the visitors were there, the woman and her husband had discussed going to town, but the woman decided to stay home and ended up witnessing the break-in.
On June 1, a deputy spoke with the woman again and she described the SUV as being a Ford with purple trim. The officer recalled that both Stephens and the woman who was with him at the victims’ house had been known to drive a vehicle matching that description.
A deputy created a photo lineup that included Stephens’ picture. When the woman who witnessed the break-in saw the photos, she immediately identified Stephens as the suspect.
Extensive damage was reportedly done to the door where the break-in occurred.
Stephens is in the Texas County Jail on $200,000 bond.