Burglary leads to arrest warrant for Hewankorn

BY MICHELLE LOVATO

Lake County Leader

Caitlin Elain Hewankorn, of Pablo, is a wanted woman.

Lake County District Court Judge James A. Manley issued a warrant for her arrest after Hewankorn did not show up for her Feb. 4 arraignment hearing, according to Lake County court records.

Hewankorn is charged with tampering with evidence after a CSKT law enforcement officer caught her holding a 32-inch television taken in an alleged burglary committed by Steven P. Stump Nov. 14.

A caller notified emergency dispatchers of the November burglary in progress at a 4th Street North home in Pablo that involved three male suspects “forcibly entering a residence and were taking items from that home to a next-door house from which they would return empty handed and repeat the process,” a Lake County affidavit said. “The suspected burglars were quickly identified.”

Stump, who facing residential burglary charges presently, was among those suspects, according to Lake County court records.

Tribal and Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene where they found a large projection television that was popped out on one side, records said.

Law enforcement officers quickly realized that the projection television was hiding another 32-inch Vizio television inside.

“At that point all occupants were either arrested or asked to leave,” the affidavit said. Deputies secured the scene with evidence tape and called a reserve deputy to remain on scene while deputies applied for a search warrant.

While on scene, and after making a “round-the-house patrol” the reserve deputy saw a person, later identified as Hewankorn, “standing by the front door with something in their hands,” records said.

The deputy demanded told Hewankorn to stop where she was, then asked her what she was doing with the television.

Still holding the 32-inch Vizio television, Hewankorn confirmed she took the device from the house where Stump was arrested.

But when Hewankorn learned she would be “detained” for her selective housework, she ran.

“The defendant took off running through the apartment complex,” the affidavit said.

When the defendant tripped and fell, the reserve officer caught up to her, placed her under arrested and drove her to a Tribal law detention center since there was no room in the Lake County Jail, records said.

Stump pleaded not guilty to charges of felony burglary, had his omnibus hearing Jan. 15 and is scheduled to appeared before a jury for trial March 9.