A man was arrested Oct. 20 for allegedly breaking into and trashing a Mitchell residence.
Dustin Zephier, 23, of Mitchell, is charged with first-degree burglary, a Class 2 felony; intentional damage to property valued at between $1,000 and $2,500, a Class 6 felony; and obstructing law enforcement, a Class 1 misdemeanor. If convicted on all charges, he could be incarcerated for up to 28 years.
Police responded to the residence at 4:38 a.m. for a reported burglary in progress, according to court documents. Two people were reportedly seen running from the scene through an alley between the 600 block of North Rowley Street and North Duff Street, then climbing over chain link fences in yards.
An officer apprehended Zephier in the 600 block between North Sanborn Boulevard and North Duff Street. Zephier was handcuffed and transported to the Davison County Jail on a felony arrest warrant.
The house was allegedly later found to have had the front door kicked in, and the inside of the door frame was damaged. Inside the house, multiple items were found to have been damaged, including a TV that "was thrown on the floor and stomped on" and a freezer that had its door ripped of the hinges. A back patio door was reportedly found to have been ripped open and was lying in the backyard.
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At the jail, Zephier allegedly admitted to entering the residence with two other people and causing damage inside "as part of a rivalry with the victim."
Mitchell police told The Daily Republic on Monday that no other arrests have been made in connection with the burglary, though it is still under investigation. Zephier is scheduled to appear in court next week.
