By SYDNEY KENT
A man from Richmond pled guilty to the burglary of Baker Farms in January of 2022 in the Wells Circuit Court last month.
David Shane Sullivan, 46, was charged with burglary, a Level 5 felony, auto theft, a Level 6 felony, and two counts of auto theft with a prior conviction, both Level 5 felonies. The charges were filed after DNA evidence, found in a glove on the property, placed Sullivan at the scene of a burglary.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Zach Krinn, a representative from Baker Farms, reported that a theft had occurred overnight on New Year’s Eve in 2021. A laptop, various tools, and a Polaris Ranger UTV was stolen, along with additional items. The total cost of stolen items was estimated at $80,540. The following morning, a subject near the business reported that his moped had been stolen overnight.
Several days after the burglary, Krinn advised detectives on the case that some of the stolen items were found in a field behind the business. One of the items was reportedly a computer system torn out of the UTV.
On March 5, officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the bushes on a property approximately 14 miles from the business. The vehicle was identified as the stolen UTV. The stolen moped was recovered in Florida approximately five months later.
During his interview with detectives, Sullivan advised he had previously dismissed charges in Florida. Sullivan was arrested with his girlfriend, Tessa Rettinger, after a high speed pursuit in a vehicle reported to be stolen out of Richmond. The charges were ultimately dismissed in the state.
Sullivan, who initially denied ever visiting Wells County, admitted that he was homeless and using drugs at the time of the burglary. When officers asked Sullivan how he found the barn, he reportedly said that he “had to get out of Richmond” and rode a train to the business. The officer noted a train track that runs from Richmond to an area near the farm.
Sullivan has multiple past convictions for theft of an automobile, as well a past conviction for possession of methamphetamine and one count of theft.
Sullivan is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in this matter at 1 p.m. on Dec. 13 in the Wells Circuit Court.
sydney@news-banner.com
