A 27-year-old Bedford man was arrested in the early morning hours of July 12 after entering a vehicle without permission from the owner. 

Deputy Michael Stanley of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a East Furnace Road residence in Bloomfield around 2:25 a.m. after the homeowner reported a suspicious man standing in the driveway holding her purse, which had previously been in her unlocked vehicle. 

The male, later identified as Elijah Wayne Killion, said he found the purse under a dumpster at Mill Street Pizza and he was at the home to return it. 

When Deputy Stanley turned onto Furnace Road from US 231, he saw a man matching the description from the homeowner walking on the roadway. Killion was patted down to ensure he had no weapons and to see if he had the homeowner’s license which she claimed was missing from her purse. Nothing out of the ordinary was found during the pat down. Killion told Deputy Stanley that he found the purse at Mill Street Pizza and had just returned it to the owner. At this time, Deputy Stanley said Killion was free to go. Deputy Stanley left Killion where he was walking and headed to the residence.

The male homeowner said he was asleep on the couch when he heard their driveway alarm sound. When he looked outside, he saw a car coming up their driveway. He said he turned all the outside lights on after seeing a car entering their driveway. When he went outside, he noticed there were no vehicles other than their own, but noticed Killion standing in the driveway. 

The female homeowner said she had found her license but it was located in a place different from where she usually keeps it in her purse. She checked her purse and all items, including credit cards, were accounted for. 

When looking in the car, the male noticed the seat was up more than normal and cassettes were missing. The female noted her purse was previously in the back seat of the car. The male noted a smell of tobacco smoke in the car; neither he nor his wife smoke. Found in the vehicle were a pair of black headphones that did not belong to the homeowners. Deputy Stanley and the male homeowner popped the hood on the vehicle in question to check the engine. The engine was in fact warm as if someone had just been driving it.

The female said the car was parked a little further up than she remembered leaving it and a little closer to the house using an area they had sprayed for weeds the previous day as reference. She said the passenger front door was locked but the back door was not. She also pointed out a “ticking noise” the car makes when a door has been recently opened. 

Deputy Stanley left the residence to look for Killion and located him on Furnace Road. Killion said he had been to the residence to return the purse. When asked twice if he had started a vehicle, he told Deputy Stanley that he didn’t know both times. 

Deputy Stanley transported Killion to Greene County Jail. During booking, Deputy Stanley showed the headphones from the back of the vehicle to Killion and asked them if they were his to which he responded affirmative.

He was charged with unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, a Class B Misdemeanor. 

His bond was set at $500 surety with 10 percent cash allowed.