Man charged with breaking into house to get sandwich
A reportedly homeless man was charged with felony residential burglary on Thursday after allegedly breaking into a Mountain Pine home to grab a sandwich.
James Dean Degree, 47, who lists a city streets address, was taken into custody around 1:45 p.m. Thursday and charged with a felony count of residential burglary, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of theft of property, punishable by up to one year in jail, and criminal trespass, punishable by up to 90 days in jail.
He had previously been convicted multiple times in Garland County on misdemeanor charges for similar offenses dating back to August 2011.
He remained in custody in lieu bond and was set for arraignment County District Court on Friday.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the Mountain Pine city marshal’s office received a complaint of a residential burglary at 204 10th St. on Oct. 13. City Marshal Bill House spoke with a neighbor who said he saw Degree enter the residence of a $5,250 in Garland at that address by removing the screen and opening the window.
The witness said he was unable to see where Degree exited the home, but saw him with what appeared to be a sandwich and a bag of change outside the residence. He then saw Degree placing the screen back on the window. He said his wife recorded part of the incident on her cellphone after Degree had exited the residence.
Mountain Pine Mayor Morgan Wiles responded with his aide, Reed Whaley, who found Degree holding a sandwich.
Wiles and Whaley reportedly asked Degree if he had been inside the residence. Degree said he had not, and that he was doing yard work for its owner. Degree told Wiles he had purchased the sandwich with the money he had made cleaning up the streets the previous day.
On Oct. 15, House interviewed Degree at the Mountain Pine marshal’s office, and he allegedly said he was walking down the road and got hungry, so he entered a residence to get something to eat.
Degree reportedly said that once he was in the home, he realized he was under a no contact order for the residence. He said he was under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine at the time, and that he took a sandwich before leaving the residence.