Worthington woman arrested for felony breaking and entering

Over the past few weeks, the Worthington Police Department has received reports of an unidentified woman walking into homes uninvited and getting into vehicles. It happened again this morning. The suspect was arrested and is facing a felony charge for residential entry.

Lavonda Collins

Lavonda L. Collins, age unknown at time of posting, Worthington, was arrested by Town Marshal Jim O’Malley of the Worthington Police Department on Wednesday, December 30.

At 9:50 a.m. today, Wednesday, December 30, Greene County Dispatch at the sheriff’s department received a call from a resident on South Myra Street in Worthington saying a woman had entered her home, gone into her kitchen and got into her refrigerator.

Officer O’Malley responded and determined the woman was Lavonda Collins – O’Malley was familiar with her.

Collins also resides on South Myra Street and the WPD has received previous reports about an unidentified woman knocking on doors and entering unlocked vehicles and homes in the South Myra Street and South Dayton Street neighborhoods.

One of the previous complaints was received around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17, when another resident, who lives on South Dayton Street, called the sheriff’s department and said a woman wearing a black jacket and gray sweatpants had just walked into her house. The caller said she confronted the unknown woman and told her to leave.

O’Malley was dispatched and when he located a woman matching the description, the woman was identified as Collins. The resident who made the report was able to positively identify Collins as the woman who entered her home, but she did not want to pursue charges. Collins was not arrested at that time but she was warned about entering people’s homes.

This morning, when Officer O’Malley arrived on the scene of the latest incident, he talked to a woman resident and her granddaughter. The woman resident said she recognized the intruder as the woman who lives next door – Collins. The resident said Collins wanted a Coke to drink so she gave her a ginger ale and told her to leave. She said Collins did leave but left the ginger ale sitting on the porch when she left.

The granddaughter told Officer O’Malley she was asleep on the couch when she heard a noise, woke up, saw the refrigerator door was open then saw a woman looking in the fridge. She said she got up and told her grandmother that someone was in the house.

Officer O’Malley reported that when he located and talked to Collins, she said she knocked on the door and thought she heard someone say “Come in,” and then she asked them for a Coke. Collins allegedly said she remembered the officer’s previous warnings but thought someone asked her to come in.

Collins was advised of her rights, said she understood them, and she requested an attorney.

Collins was taken into custody and transported to the Greene County Jail.

A criminal case was filed against Collins this afternoon but the date for her initial hearing has not yet been set.

When she appears in court, Collins will be charged with residential entry – breaking and entering a dwelling, a Level 6 felony.