Black charged with burglary, property damage

Posted 4/8/20

Torey E. Black, 42, of Morrison, has been charged with second-degree burglary and property damage in the second degree following a March 21 incident at a home in Linn. These charges come on the heels …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Black charged with burglary, property damage

Posted

Torey E. Black, 42, of Morrison, has been charged with second-degree burglary and property damage in the second degree following a March 21 incident at a home in Linn. These charges come on the heels of a driving while intoxicated charge filed March 5.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Lt. Justin Carnes, the incident began when Linn Police Officer Luke Probst received a text alerting him to an unknown vehicle coming and going from a new construction residence on Rt. U.

When Probst checked out the situation, he found the car at the residence, along with its driver, identified as Black, who appeared from the back porch. When asked what he was doing there, Black told Probst he was “glad he showed up,” because Black had seen two people break out of the window and head up a hill behind the residence.

Probst in his PC statement said he told Black to stay put while he checked out the area, but noted that he did not see anyone on the hillside or notice any fresh footprints. When he returned, Black was gone.

Probst observed an assortment of power tools at the base of the window outside the house. These tools are owned by Curtis Kliethermes Construction and include a concrete saw with blade ($1,050), rebar tier ($2,800), laser level ($1,600), two pneumatic staplers ($140), a sighting nailer ($250) and a framing nailer ($100), for a grand total of $5,940 in estimated value of the attempted theft. The vandalized window was valued at $500.

Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle leave and return to the residence several times, and a white truck was also seen in the area, but no driver descriptions could be provided.

Further, witnesses said they did not see anyone running behind the residence as described by Black.

Carnes traveled to Black’s residence in Morrison, where he, Capt. Travis Shaffer and Sgt. Dennis Sutton interviewed Black after placing him under arrest. Black said he did not commit a burglary but knew who did. However, he refused to identify the other individuals.

A search of the residence yielded no property suspected of being stolen, and Black was transported to the county jail.

According to Black, he was traveling down Rt. U to meet someone whom he refused to identify, and saw two men standing on the front porch of the residence. He knew them, and decided to stop and visit. Both, he said, work in the construction industry, and he had no idea why they were there.

Black told Carnes that he had only approached the residence once, contrary to what witnesses described, and that the two individuals had fled without cause or saying anything to him.

Further, Black claimed he saw the tools outside the residence only after the men ran, and that he didn’t notice the broken window until after Probst arrived. Black said he did not break the window, enter the residence or touch the tools.

Carnes requested charges due to the totality of the circumstances, combined with the fact that Black has previously been convicted of burglary, felony stealing and possession of a controlled substance in Franklin County.

Black has been released on his own recognizance pending arraignment at 10:30 a.m. May 26.