A woman accused of stealing a bicycle who appeared in court yesterday has been charged with felony theft. As a result of an investigation involving GCSD and LPD, the bicycle was returned to the rightful owner.

Deborah Sue Swenson, 53, Shelburn, was arrested by Deputy Logan Milligan of the Greene County Sheriff's Department on Sunday night, October 23, with bond set at $1000 surety with 10% cash allowed.

When Swenson appeared in Greene Superior Court yesterday, Tuesday, November 1, she was formally charged with theft where the defendant has a prior conviction for either theft or conversion, a Level 6 felony. According to Deputy Milligan, Swenson’s criminal history includes a conviction in 2016 in another county for theft, a Level 6 felony.

Swenson is accused of stealing a bicycle.

Deputy Milligan responded around 3:00 PM on October 23 when a caller reported to Greene County Dispatch her bicycle had been stolen from her workplace at Nana’s Restaurant on State Road 54 west of Linton. The caller said she arrived at work around 6:00 AM and when she went out on break around 9:30 AM, her bicycle was gone.

When Deputy Milligan arrived on the scene, the bicycle owner said she puts her bicycle behind the building in between two air conditioning units in an attempt to hide it because she doesn't have a bicycle lock.

The bicycle was described as a Huffy with a black and purple basket on the front. The owner said she had spray painted the complete bicycle a bright purple, including the wheels, because this same bicycle had been stolen back in June from Monical's Restaurant in Linton so she painted it in order for it to stand out in case it was stolen again.

Then around 7:11 PM, Deputy Milligan heard radio traffic coming from the Linton Police Department Dispatch about a suspicious woman who was dancing erotically with a purple bicycle in the parking lot of the Park Inn on A Street NE in Linton. LPD was notified that Deputy Milligan and Deputy Caleb Sipes would assist the LPD in this investigation.

Deputy Milligan saw a bright purple bicycle with purple wheels and a black and purple basket on the front when she got to the Park Inn and she saw a woman walking on an upstairs balcony that she recognized as Swenson from a previous incident.

Swenson admitted she had been riding the bicycle but when asked where she got it she said, “I don't know, it was on their property so I brought it down here.” When told that the bicycle had been stolen from Nana’s earlier that morning, Swenson allegedly said she didn't know where Nana's Restaurant was.

And then LPD Officer Janzen Franklin asked Swenson if she had been using methamphetamine. Swenson denied using meth but allegedly admitted she had smoked a joint. She also said she knew something was wrong with the bicycle because it was painted completely purple and she was planning to take it to the police department after she was done riding it. She said the bicycle was on the property she stays at on County Road N 1100 W, Linton. When asked why she would take it to the police department, Swenson said, “It's painted completely purple and there is something wrong with it.” When she was asked again if she had been using methamphetamine, she then admitted she had used meth about three hours earlier.

Swenson was taken into custody by Deputy Milligan, transported to the sheriff's department and booked into the Greene County Jail at 8:15 PM.

The owner of the bicycle was able to identify it and was able to pick it up. When asked if she knew Swenson or had given Swenson permission to ride the bicycle, the owner said she did not know Swenson but knew Swenson was the suspect when the same bicycle was previously stolen from Monical's.