Havre man arrested on allegations of theft from elderly

Havre Daily News staff

A Havre man was in the Hill County Detention Center on $50,000 bond, facing charges he stole from people at the retirement home where he was a maintenance man.

A court document said Havre police arrested Kevin Wayne Coleman, born in 1985, Jan. 10 on suspicion of breaking into residences in the retirement home and stealing items which he then pawned.

He was arrested on suspicion of exploitation of the elderly and burglary, both felonies and a misdemeanor count of theft.

According to the document, a resident of the retirement home went to the Havre Police Department to report two guns were stolen from his apartment in the retirement home. The resident said he collects guns. The ones missing were a Taurus .22 caliber pistol and an H and R revolver, he said.

The resident said he always keeps his doors locked and only the management and maintenance employee have keys.

A representative of a local pawn shop said Coleman had pawned the two revolvers at that shop.

The representative of the pawn shop told the officer Coleman had called earlier that day about pawning a .357 caliber pistol, the document said.

The original complainant later called the police department to report he was missing a .357 caliber pistol.

An officer spoke to the manager of the retirement home, who said she suspected Coleman had been stealing items from the retirement home. Someone had been interfering with the security cameras and someone stole a television from the home's common area.

A pawn shop reported Coleman had pawned a TV that matched the one stolen, the document said.

Officers arrested Coleman Jan. 10 at the retirement home.

The court document said officers were familiar with Coleman from prior cases and that he is a multi-state offender with a history of criminal trespass to property and theft.