A transient man who stole about $2,500 worth of cash, merchandise and security equipment from a Battle Ground home decor store was sentenced Monday to five months in jail.
Christopher Lee Fettig, 27, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to second-degree burglary, and he also pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine in a separate case. Judge John Fairgrieve ordered the sentences run concurrently.
Fettig faced a sentencing range of four to 12 months in jail in the burglary. The prosecution asked for six months, while Fettig’s defense attorney, Darquise Cloutier, requested four months.
Around 9:30 a.m. April 30, Battle Ground police were dispatched to Bo’s Home Decor, 602 E. Main St., for a reported burglary. The store’s owner said she arrived at work that morning and the back door was unlocked. She opened the door and saw the store’s cash drawer, empty, lying on the floor in the back room, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
A walkthrough of the store later revealed that merchandise, including clothing and jewelry, was missing or had been rummaged through and moved. Security equipment was missing, and a lockbox was open while another was ripped off the wall and lying unopened on the floor, the affidavit says.
An iPad, $250 from the cash drawer and a $164 night deposit were all missing, according to the affidavit. The owner estimated the store’s total loss to be $2,449.
Police found a Smith & Wesson folding knife on the floor near the cash drawer, according to the affidavit.
The manager of a neighboring business contacted police after finding a box of items he suspected were stolen from Bo’s Home Decor behind a dumpster, which contained nearly all of the stolen merchandise, the affidavit says.
Fettig was taken into custody two days later on the methamphetamine charge. Police said he was also suspected in a number of thefts in the area, and he was wearing a stolen beanie from Bo’s Home Decor when he was arrested, court records state.
Fettig told police in an interview that he stashes things behind a dumpster near the store. He said he has a drug problem and admitted that the folding knife found inside the store was his, the affidavit said.
“Christopher admitted that he probably did break into the business and (stole) the items, but he kept insisting he did not remember doing it due to his state of mind at the time,” the affidavit reads.
Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Smith said Fettig’s honesty was a key factor in the state’s decision to only ask for six months. Cloutier agreed that her client was honest.
“He was too cooperative, I think,” Cloutier said.
Fettig said he has battled drug addiction for 12½ years. He’s begun seeking treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues, he said, and has lined up employment for when he’s released.
“I’m actually happy that I’m here because it did save my life in a lot of ways,” Fettig said. “I know I have the skills to succeed and excel in life. I’m just wasting that.”
Source: https://www.columbian.com
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