Photo: Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfe of Summit, who broke into a house in Henderson allegedly looking for food and apparently tried to enter other structures in the area, made it clear he was pleading not guilty to the charges against him during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
The 37-year-old Wolfe had barely taken his seat in front of a camera in the Baxter County jail, allowing him to see and communicate with those in the courtroom, when he roared “not guilty.” He went mute for the rest of his appearance.
Wolfe was located after deputies from the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call Nov. 17 reporting a male apparently living in an SUV between the Lake Norfork Inn and Colonial Liquor Store.
The deputies located the vehicle. They found no one inside, but the driver’s side door was open and keys were in the ignition.
While at the scene, one of the deputies looked across U.S. Highway 62/412 to a residence appearing to be either vacant or an unoccupied vacation home. A window was open, and the deputies approached and discovered the window was actually broken.
The deputies reported hearing someone talking inside the house. They announced their presence and then heard someone running. One of the deputies went to the back of the house and made contact with a male later identified as Wolfe.
Wolfe said he had gone into the house because he was cold and hungry. A deputy walked through the residence and located open alcohol bottles and miscellaneous food items scattered about.
When the owner was contacted, he said he did not know Wolfe.
The deputies reported no household items of value seemed to be missing, and the only thing damaged was the window. A friend of the owner who lives in Mountain Home came to the house and verified the deputies’ observation.
Wolfe is also alleged to have attempted to break into a business by trying to break out the glass in a drive-up window and striking a door and knob trying to gain access. The drive-up window was covered with steel bars and no entry was made. The business owner also reported a mobile home adjacent to his establishment had been entered, but nothing seemed to have been taken. A neighbor identified Wolfe as the man they had seen at the door to the business.
Wolfe was booked into the county jail on a felony count of residential burglary and misdemeanor counts of theft of property under $500, second-degree criminal mischief and attempted commercial burglary. In all, Wolfe faces two felonies and four misdemeanors.
He is being held in the Baxter County jail with his bond set at $25,000. He will reappear in circuit court Dec. 5.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI