Ex-Wife Admits Burglarizing, Vandalizing for Revenge
September 30, 2011 – An Elk City woman told authorities recently that she stole checks worth thousands of dollars from her ex-husband, and even tampered with his work vehicle and with surveillance equipment, because she was mad that he divorced her after a dozen years of marriage, according to a report by Beckham County Sheriff’s Deputy Gail Wilhite.
Deputy Wilhite arrested Patricia Gail Whittemire, 31, on Sept. 16 on three counts of second degree burglary, tampering with surveillance equipment during the commission of a felony, possession of drug paraphernalia, and malicious injury to property.
Michael Whittemire initially contacted the BK CO Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 23 after someone stole a cashier’s check for $3,000 from his pickup at his residence on Merritt Road, one-and-a-half miles south of Merritt School. At the time, he reportedly told authorities that he suspected his ex-wife.
On Sept. 9, Michael Whittemire reported to Sheriff’s Deputies that someone broke into his pickup and took two cashier’s checks worth $6,650, as well as a stereo amplifier and a box of ammunition.
Later that day, when he arrived at work at Steve’s Diesel, Michael Whittemire found that someone had cut the throttle lines on his wrecker and turned off his fuel tanks. He also told authorities that a surveillance camera at the business had been removed from its mount.
On Sept. 13, during an interview at Steve’s Diesel, Michael Whittemire reported that he spoke to Patricia the day before and that she admitted taking the items. While there, Deputy Wilhite viewed surveillance footage from Sept. 9, which reportedly showed a woman enter a door at Steve’s Diesel at approximately 1:30 a.m.
Michael Whittemire and his boss, Jamie Tosh, both identified the woman as Patricia Whittemire, according to Deputy Wilhite’s report.
Elk City Police performed a traffic stop on Whittemire at the intersection of Rainbow and Washington Streets on Sept. 16, then detained her until Deputy Wilhite arrived and arrested her. While conducting inventory on her vehicle, authorities found a glass pipe with residue on it. Whittemire admitted that she used it to smoke methamphetamine, according to reports.
Prosecutors formally charged Whittemire in Beckham CO District Court on Thursday. She was being held in the Beckham CO Jail on $10,000 bond, officials said.