Woman Jailed on Burglary Charges After Posting Facebook Photos With Stolen Items in Background

Jake Bauer

Jake Bauer

Published January 9, 2018 5:21 am
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PAINT TWP., Pa. (EYT) — Authorities say an Emlenton woman was jailed on burglary charges after investigators discovered Facebook photos of her with the stolen items.

Clarion-based State Police filed the following charges against Jennifer Marie Elder, 23, of Emlenton:

  • Burglary — Overnight Accommodation, No Person Present, Felony 1
  • Criminal Trespass-Break Into Structure, Felony 2
  • Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 1
  • Receiving Stolen Property, Misdemeanor 1

The charges — filed by Tpr. John Dubovi at Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill’s office — stem from a July 2017 burglary in Monroe Township, Clarion County.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Tpr. Dubovi and released to exploreClarion.com on Monday, a Clarion woman called PSP Clarion to report that someone broke into her apartment on July 26 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

The criminal complaint states that the victim told police that she was not home at the time of the break-in but suspected the perpetrator was Jennifer Elder.

The victim told Tpr. Dubovi that there was a way to get inside her apartment without a key.

“When asked why she thought it was Elder that broke into her apartment, (the victim) said Elder was her roommate previously, and she knew how to (get inside the apartment.)”

Items removed from the apartment included a purse, two pairs of shoes, a bottle of perfume and gabapentin and hydrocodone pills, according to the criminal complaint.

Tpr. Dubovi arrived at the apartment and found no damage to the front door.

Further investigation revealed that two photos on Elder’s Facebook page depicted Elder with multiple items that belonged to (the victim) in the background.

Another woman told Tpr. Dubovi that she saw Elder and two unknown males walking away from the apartment complex where the crime occurred.

The woman said she saw Elder and the same two men pull up to the victim’s apartment in a blue pickup truck.

The woman did not see anyone go inside the apartment but said she could hear voices coming from inside the apartment moments later.

According to the criminal complaint, the woman said the blue pickup truck was still parked outside the apartment complex at this time.

Following further investigation, a warrant was issued for Elder’s arrest.

Elder was apprehended on January 4 — just one day after Tpr. Dubovi issued a press release indicating the warrant had been issued.

In a separate case, Elder is facing felony drug charges.

A criminal complaint filed by Butler-based State Police Tpr. Brown indicates a drug investigation was initiated after a woman who was later identified as Kayla Dunlap, 28, of Callensburg, was found dead in a wooded area along Lake Road near Oneida Valley Dam in Oakland Township, Butler County.

Elder remains lodged in the Clarion County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.

She faces a preliminary hearing in the burglary case on January 9 at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Schill.

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