Michael J. Downey

     A Midway man, 36 year old MICHAEL J. DOWNEY, is in the Baxter County Detention Center after being arrested this morning on charges related to the break-in of a vehicle and attempted break-in of a private residence on Bartwood Lane.

     At approximately 7:02 AM today, Sheriff’s Corporal Kristofer Savino was dispatched to speak with a woman on Bartwood Lane who was reporting a break-in.  The victim told Corporal Savino that the incident occurred between approximately 11:30 PM on December 2^nd and 7:00 AM this morning, December 3^rd.  The victim stated she heard noises outside her residence last evening but did not call to report it.  When she awoke this morning, she noticed the front door to her residence was open approximately on inch, but the top door latch was locked and no entry had been made.  In addition, she found that an outside light bulb near the door had been removed and paced on the front deck.  She also reported that her 2005 Ford Escape, which had been locked, had been broken into.  The back window had been broken out to gain access to the interior of the vehicle.  A small safe from inside the vehicle had been pried open and various articles missing, including mint coins, dollar pieces, change, keys, a hand tool, and foreign paper currency.  On the ground were a green mitten and a black knife that did not belong to the victim.  These were collected and taken into evidence. 

     After the initial report was taken, the victim called the Sheriff’s Office a second time at approximately 9:19 AM.  She had walked down the road toward a neighbor’s residence and believed she had possibly found evidence of the crime outside that residence.  Corporal Savino made personal contact with the occupant of that residence, who was identified as MICHAEL J. DOWNEY.  Although DOWNEY initially stated he knew nothing about the crime, he later changed his story and confessed to having broken into the victim’s vehicle and attempted to gain entry to the residence.  DOWNEY stated he was heavily under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance when he did this.  MICHAEL DOWNEY was taken into custody by Corporal Savino.  After further investigation and the recovery of at least some of the stolen property, MICHAEL DOWNEY was booked into the Detention Center on charges of:

Breaking or Entering (2 counts) – Class D Felonies
Theft of Property – Class D Felony
Criminal Mischief in 2^nd Degree – Class D Felony

     DOWNEY is being held in lieu of $25,000.00 bond, and he will appear in Circuit Court on December 5^th.

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff