Police: Teen-age duo commits burglaries while homeowners absent

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Photo: Blake Sterling Lewis

Authorities in Marion County have arrested a teen-age duo they say came to the area and committed a series of burglaries over three days while homeowners were away.

Sheriff Clinton Evans says 18-year-old Blake Sterling Lewis of Harrison was accompanied by a 16-year-old female when the burglaries were committed.

Lewis was arrested Monday morning at a bank in Yellville after cashing a forged check allegedly stolen from a local resident during one of the burglaries.

Sheriff Evans says Lewis was being observed by investigators for a period of time until he entered the bank and was confronted after he exited carrying a wallet stolen from a burglary in Mountain Home. The wallet contained $3,345 in cash from the forged check, miscellaneous cards from the victims, and 3.5 grams of methamphetamine.

According to a confession provided by Lewis, the two would drive around until they saw a residence appearing to have no one home. They would pull in the driveway, and the female juvenile would knock on the door to see if anyone was home. Once they decided the residence was vacant, Lewis would kick in the door and steal the property of the homeowner.

Evans says Lewis confessed to two residential burglaries in Yellville, one in Mountain Home, and one in Harrison. Deputies recovered most of the stolen property from each burglary including flat screen televisions, designer purses, jewelry, debit cards, driver’s licenses and Social Security cards. Multiple checks from different victims forged and ready to be cashed for thousands of dollars were also recovered.

Lewis has been charged with two felony counts of residential burglary, theft of property and theft by receiving, as well as single counts of forgery, possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also faces a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.

The female juvenile was charged with two counts of residential burglary, theft of property, and possession of drug paraphernalia and was turned over to juvenile services.

Bond for Lewis was set at $25,500.

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