Burglarized by the next door neighbor

PARAGOULD, Ark. – When you think of someone breaking into your home, you don’t picture them living next door.

That’s exactly what happened in Paragould this week.

Greene County Sheriff’s Department’s Deputy Kaleb Pitcher was dispatched Sunday to the 2800-block of North Rockingchair Road, where a resident told him his home had been burglarized before 8 a.m. that very morning. A gun safe was tampered with, as was a TV mounted on the wall. The man said the only suspects must have been his neighbors.

Around that time, the neighbor, Freda Kay Hancock, 37, walked over to the house. She said she was looking for her dog on the property earlier but had not seen anything suspicious. She left, returning to her home at 2715 North Rockingchair Road. Deputies followed.

Authorities asked Hancock to sign a consent form allowing them to check her residence and she agreed. Once they went inside, they found several items matching the description of stolen goods taken from the neighbor. Deputies took photos and showed the pictures to the victim, who confirmed the story. However, when they returned to Hancock’s residence, the door was locked.

“Loud knocking sounds could be heard coming from inside the residence,” Pitcher reported. “After several minutes, Mrs. Hancock came to the door and came outside.”

She was immediately read her Miranda Rights and questioned about the stolen goods. That’s when the woman blamed her husband, saying he may have stolen the items.

The report goes on to say she then admitted she knew there were stolen items in their house. The woman went into the house and gathered items she knew were stolen and placed them in the living room.

While this took place, a deputy walked around the house and noticed several stolen items hidden under the house, including a crossbow, keyboard, violin and camping cook stove. Inside of the trash were several empty medicine bottles belonging to the nearby burglary victim. Inside of the bathroom, a medicine bottle with the name was torn off and pills were seen floating in the toilet.

Hancock was arrested and taken to Greene County Detention Center. She faces three felony charges, including tampering with physical evidence, breaking or entering and theft greater than $1,000.