Two people are accused of recently breaking into businesses in Amber and Pere Marquette townships.
According to the Mason County Press, Scott Eric Phelps, 45, of Hart, and Candice Lee Fennel, 22, of Hart, have each been charged with one count of safe breaking, four counts of breaking and entering, and a count of being in possession of burglar’s tools; each is felony.
The two are being charged in connection to break-ins to local businesses over the past month including: Century 21 Bayshore Real Estate, 325 S. Brye Road; State Farm Insurance, 103 N. Jebavy Dr.; the Salvation Army store, 5905 E. US 10; and Orchard Market, 212 S. Pere Marquette Highway.
The arrests were made after deputies were dispatched to Holiday Inn Express, 4079 W. US 10, regarding a suspicious situation. According to Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole, an employee reported a backpack type bag had wires exposed which were plugged into an electrical outlet. Cole said the wires were charging cell phones inside the bag.
When a sheriff’s deputy arrived and made contact with a female subject the male subject fled on foot, Cole said. The female was a wanted parole absconder out of the Michigan Department of Corrections. A chase of the male subject ensued and the county’s K-9 unit was called to the scene to assist.
K-9 dog Cash tracked the subject to the Meijer store, 3900 W. US 10, where he was located hiding inside the store and taken into custody at 4:47 a.m. He too, was a wanted parole absconder out of the MDOC.
The investigation also led to the following charges being filed against both subjects this morning by the Mason County Prosecutor’s Office:
- Count 1: Safe Breaking, a felony punishable by up to life imprisonment.
- Counts 2 through 5: Breaking and entering, felonies punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
- Count 6: Possession of burglar’s tools, a felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
- Count 6: Burglar’s Tools—Possession, 10 year Felony
Phelps has been listed with the MDOC as a bond absconder since Jan. 17, 2018. On Sept. 14, 2014 he was sentenced in 51st Circuit Court in Mason County for breaking and entering a building with intent and larceny in a building in connection to offenses that took place in the fall of 2013. He was sentenced to 1.5 to 15 years in prison for each charge.
He previously had served a 28 month to six years prison sentence for larceny in a building in Jackson County; uttering and publishing and forgery crimes out of Mason County in 2004; breaking and entering a building with intent out of Manistee County in 1999; and breaking and entering a building with intent out of Mason County in 1999. He had served those sentences concurrently and was released from prison on Jan. 30, 2013.
Fennel has been listed with the MDOC as a bond absconder since March 6. On Aug. 15, 2016 she was sentenced in 27th Circuit Court in Oceana County to one to four years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to an offense that occured in Oceana County’s Crystal Township on May 19, 2016. See related story here. On Aug. 8, 2016, she was sentenced in 27th Circuit Court in Newaygo County to one year, seven months to 15 years in prison for home invasion second degree. She was previously convicted on Sept. 21, 2015 for a Feb. 1, 2015 home invasion second degree charge in Newaygo County. She had been sentenced to up to 1.5 years in prison on that charge and was released on Aug. 8, 2016.
The two were arraigned today in Mason County’s 79th District Court.
The sheriff’s office was assisted by Ludington Police Department and Michigan State Police Hart Post.
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