One of three people involved in the same break-in appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday and pled guilty to his charges.
Twenty-three-year-old Michael Thorne was sentenced to six years in prison on a charge of breaking or entering.
Thorne’s 58-year-old mother, Lori Ann Thorne, was also involved in the incident along with 35-year-old Cory Scott Shelton.
During the process of making his plea in the case, Thorne said he was accepting the prison time on the assurance that his mother’s charges would be reduced to misdemeanors. The state indicated that was the agreement.
Lori Thorne is serving time in the McPherson Unit of the state prison system at Newport on an earlier conviction.
Michael Thorne, his mother and Shelton were arrested October 21 last year when they were found to have made an unauthorized entry into a residence along Cooper Estates Drive.
POLICE RESPOND
Mountain Home police responded to a call reporting what appeared to be a break-in. The property manager called police after he saw a light on in the house and then observed someone moving about in the residence. He told police no one should have been in the house.
The property managed remained on scene and watched the house until police arrived in case someone tried to flee.
MICHAEL THORN DOES TRY TO RUN
When police arrived, they announced their presence and instructed anyone inside the house to come out with their hands up. An officer watching the back of the house saw Michael Thorne exit a rear door in an attempt to escape. He was stopped and put in hand restraints.
The next person police encountered was Lori Thorne who came from upstairs. According to the probable cause affidavit, she was told multiple times to put her hands in the air and exit the building. She was described as “complying slowly.”
Once she was outside, the officers ordered Lori Thorne to get on her knees and then on stomach. She became argumentative and did not follow commands. Due to a concern that more suspects might still be in the house, Lori Thorne was “physically placed in the prone position.”
After the mother had been taken into custody, two officers entered the residence and ordered anyone left inside to surrender. At that point, Shelton is reported to have called out to tell officers he was going to exit the structure. He came downstairs and was placed under arrest.
A search of the residence turned up a number of what were described as “display model cellphones.” There is no information in the probable cause affidavit shedding light on what the people were doing in the house or to explain the presence of the cellphones.
Shelton’s case remains open.
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