Jun 27, 2017 | By: Mal Meyer
Park Rapids Woman Allegedly Burglarized Homes To Look For Drugs
A Park Rapids woman has been ordered to appear in court to face charges of burglary and theft in four separate incidents where she allegedly attempted to steal prescription drugs. Shauna Lee Schultz, 37, told law enforcement after a string of break-ins that she had visited over 50 area homes to find the pills.
According to a court summons document, on April 14th, the Hubbard County Sheriff’s office received a report from a homeowner on Dogwood Road that she awoke to an unknown female standing in her bedroom doorway. When she woke up at 8:30 AM, the female fled the residence. The intruder was described as being in her 20’s or 30’s with shoulder length dark hair and fair completion.
On May 10, a deputy responded to a report of a person trespassing at a residence on 230th street. The homeowner said his security system captured an unknown female walking around his residence, at one point, knocking on the front door and going around to the locked backdoor. The woman left in a vehicle that was registered to Schultz.
When the responding deputy talked to Schultz, she claimed she was lost and looking for directions. She stated she had tried to open the backdoor to see if anyone could help her.
The same day, the department began receiving reports a female party stopping at multiple Hubbard County residences asking for directions. The reports included the female entering residences without permission and asking to use the bathroom and/or ask for directions if confronted.
Due to the high number of residences reporting incidents, a code red bulletin was issued to all residences without ten miles of the city. Following the code red, the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office received more than 30 reports within 72 hours. The reports described the suspect as a white female with long brown hair and approximately 25 to 40 years of age, which matched Schultz’s description.
On May 11th, an investigator spoke to two residents on County Road 107, who stated a suspicious female entered the home without their permission. The woman asked for directions and then went to the bathroom. After she had left, the residents realized that medication including Oxycodone, Tramadol, and Cyclobenzaprine were missing.
Once confronted over a month after the original report, the defendant stated that she began visiting houses in order to look for drugs. She allegedly stated that she would usually visit five to seven houses while on break from work. She estimated that she had visited between 50 and 70 houses attempting to locate pills. When asked how many residences she stole pills from, Schultz stated, “maybe 10,” for a total of nearly 70 pills.
Schultz agreed to drive with an investigator to identify the residences where the alleged crimes occurred. Many of the occupants were able to identify that the woman had entered the property and that there were the specific pills inside the home, but could not verify if any were missing. Other residents were able to confirm that pills had been stolen.
Schultz faces two counts of burglary in the second degree and two counts of theft without consent of a controlled substance.