Wayne County woman accused of stealing car and gun, striking Richmond officer
RICHMOND, Ind. — A Wayne County woman is accused of striking a Richmond police officer — after stealing an acquaintance's vehicle and handgun, among other items.
In one Wayne Superior Court 2 case filed last week, Jennae Anne Cole, 24, of Centerville, is charged with battery resulting in bodily injury to a law enforcement officer, driving as a habitual traffic violator and resisting law enforcement.
In another Superior Court 2 case, she is charged with theft, theft of a firearm and auto theft.
According to affidavits, a Richmond man on Aug. 8 reported his Ford Taurus, 9mm handgun and cellphone were missing from his Porterfield Road home and that $100 in cash had been removed from his wallet.
The man said Cole — who had been at his home when he fell asleep — was missing.
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Another man who had been at the house said $190 in cash, his Ohio driver's license and a Social Security card had been taken from his wallet.
An acquaintance told one of the men that the stolen Taurus was parked in an alley along the 300 block of South Seventh Street, and that Cole — described as appearing "very frantic" and with a "nervous look on her face" — was in the vehicle.
When police arrived, Cole allegedly tried to flee from the scene on foot, and struck an officer while being taken into custody, leaving a laceration under the victim's right eye.
The Centerville woman tried to persuade officers the car's owner had given her permission to use the vehicle. She denied any knowledge of the other missing property.
The stolen cellphone was found in the car's truck. A text exchange found on the phone appeared to reflect Cole had recently sent a message offering a handgun to a person she was communicating with.
The two most serious charges filed against Cole last week — battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer and theft of a firearm — are Level 5 felonies, each carrying up to six years in prison.
Cole continued to be held in the Wayne County jail on Monday under a $15,000 bond based on the charges filed last week, and a $20,000 bond stemming from a burglary count filed against her, also in Wayne Superior Court 2, on July 14.
The burglary charge is a Level 4 felony carrying up to 12 years in prison. An initial hearing in that case is set for Aug. 21.
On Aug. 9, the Wayne County woman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of theft, filed in Wayne Superior Court 3 in June, and was sentenced to six days in jail.
She had earlier convictions for neglect of a dependent, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident and criminal mischief.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Wayne County woman accused of stealing car and gun, striking officer
