PARIS, Maine — A woman accused of using her daughter and her niece to help her steal more than $15,000 in jewelry from an Oxford home in April was arrested this week.
Valene R. Bachelder, 28, of Phillips, faces one count of theft by unauthorized taking and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was indicted by a grand jury in August but couldn’t be found then.
This week, she was arrested in Franklin County and transported from the Franklin County Detention Center to Oxford County Jail, where she remains.
She has signed a Maine Pretrial Services contract but must also pay a $1,000 cash bail to be released. She is due to appear in Oxford County Superior Court on March 7, 2013.
According to reports by the Oxford Police Department, on April 21 a Gore Road woman reported that several rings and necklaces were stolen from her bedroom while she was away for the weekend.
She said her son and her son’s girlfriend, Bachelder, had been in the home over the weekend, along with two girls. Her bedroom door had been deadbolted, she said, so the thief would have entered through a window. The woman had taken pictures of her jewelry and valued the many rings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets stolen at more than $15,000.
Lt. Michael Ward of the Oxford Police Department said Bachelder’s daughter, who was 12 at the time of the theft, confessed a few days after the incident that she threw the jewelry into the Sandy River in Farmington.
In the meantime, according to Ward’s report, he was told Bachelder was addicted to prescription drugs and may have stolen the jewelry herself and sold it to buy drugs. Ward wrote that the daughter eventually confessed to stealing the rings and necklaces for her mother, who had bought her a television so she wouldn’t say anything.
The girl’s cousin, who is 11, also admitted to taking part in the crime. Both were issued juvenile summonses. Bachelder’s daughter lives with her father, who is no longer associated with the girl’s mother.
Ward made several attempts to question Bachelder but was told she had left the state. A grand jury indicted her in August on charges of theft for taking the jewelry and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for involving the two girls.
Ward said Wednesday that the jewelry has not been recovered.
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Phillips woman charged with having children steal jewelry from Oxford home
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Wow! Turning kids at such a young age into thieves and liars. Sad. No mother of the year for her.
She deserves Mother of the year award!!!!
She dead bolted her bedroom but let them stay in the house while she was gone? Oh well, the other one being up the pole at 15 doesn’t show good judgement either. Birds of a feather….
Sounds like a scene from Oliver Twist. We really haven’t progressed that far from Dickensoian England have we?
Unbelievable!!
A mother she is not for a mother would never put a child in harms way. Sad that anyone can give birth but not everyone is a loving parent. May she get the book thrown at her and I hope the state does not prosecute two innocent children for that would be a travesty. They were only doing what an adult told them to do and are innocent children. I am glad the daughter is with her father now and hope he is a great parent and can help her through this incident. I would say she should get counseling and told her mother is the one who is wrong here and she gets the love and compassion she deserves. Hopefully she will grow up to be a productive member of society and learn that her mother is not productive but a drug addict chasing the dragon. So sad how many children are abused, neglected or around drugs and crime for they are born innocent and don’t deserve be subjected to that. Wishing the best to those affected by this awful deed.