By Brian Smith
Electronic lock records indicate a Holiday Inn Express housekeeper accused of stealing 72 oxycodone pills from a guest’s room entered the room three times the day of the theft, a Richmond police officer said Wednesday at the woman’s preliminary hearing.
Stephanie Danielle Powell, 24, of Irvine, is charged with second-degree burglary and theft of controlled substances for allegedly taking the pills May 10 from the room of a guest at the hotel.
Powell was employed as a housekeeper for the hotel, and Officer Chris Bucher testified in Madison District Court on Wednesday that records from the hotel’s electronic card-key system show her third-floor access key was used three times to enter the victim’s hotel room.
Bucher also testified that the victim had spoken to Powell earlier that day and signed a form indicating she did not want the room cleaned.
Surveillance video from the hallway does not show the door of the room where the theft occurred, Bucher told Powell’s attorney, public defender Sarah Bryant.
During an interview with Powell at the police department, Bucher said, she denied entering the room and also denied giving her access key to anyone else.
Hotel records confirmed that the key used to enter the room was the key Powell had on the day of the theft, Bucher testified.
Special Judge David Hayse found probable cause to send the case to a Madison County grand jury.
Stolen beer
Hayse also found probable cause to send burglary and criminal mischief charges against Michael Kevin Jones to a grand jury after a preliminary hearing into the alleged theft of six cans of beer.
Richmond police Detective Rodney Richardson testified that Jones, 19, of Park Drive, and another man had helped the victim in the case move out of an apartment in the 300 block of E. Irvine Street on May 8.
A neighbor at the apartment complex then told police that around 1:30 a.m., the duo kicked in the door of the empty apartment, causing damage to the door, the door frame and some drywall.
“From what we can determine, the only things that were taken were six cans of Coors Light beer,” Richardson said.
The neighbor was able to identify both men from photo lineups, and commented on how Jones had changed his hairstyle since the photo used in the line-up was taken, Richardson said.
Wanton endangerment
A mother who was arrested for first-degree wanton endangerment after her 2-year-old son was seen wandering around their apartment complex had her case continued while family court proceedings continue.
Jennifer A. Miller, 37, was found intoxicated and unresponsive in her home April 30 when Richmond police officers responded to her N. Third Street apartment complex to investigate a report of a small child wandering around the area.
Madison County Attorney Marc Robbins asked to continue the case to July 8 to allow time for rulings in a related case in Madison Family Court.
Hayse agreed to modify Miller’s bond to a $5,000 unsecured bond with the conditions that she be placed on monitored conditional release and have no contact with her children unless authorized by the court.
Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.
