A local couple is dealing with the aftermath of their home being burglarized and ransacked by a group of juveniles while they were out of town last week, police say.
While the timeline of the incident remains unclear, it is believed to have occurred over the course of at least two days last week, said Capt. Derek Spicer, Siloam Springs Police Department's public information officer. Since it is an ongoing investigation, Spicer declined to comment on many details in the case but said that persons of interest have been identified and are all juveniles.
The incident resulted in the theft of thousands of dollars worth of tools, jewelry, furniture, food, firearms, antique items as well as two vehicles, according to Robert and Margaret Mayne, the victims of the crime. The couple also said the incident resulted in severe damage to their home, such as holes knocked in the walls, windows that were smashed in, broken dishes and other home supplies and even feces that were left on the floor.
The couple's home is located at 401 N. Broadway St., which is directly across the street from the city of Siloam Springs District Court building and adjacent to City Hall. They said that it all began when they were approached by three juveniles -- one of whom was age 10 and two of which were age 13 -- one day while sitting on their porch. The kids approached them asking for general labor or odd jobs that they could do in order to earn some extra spending money, saying that they wanted to be able to do things such as go to the aquatic center, which the couple did not see a problem with.
Margaret Mayne said the kids are very poor and it was clear that they have few privileges in life, which is something that prompted the couple to want to try and help them as much as they could, like they have done for other kids in the past in Siloam Springs. For that reason, the couple ended up developing a relationship with them over the course of about a month, during which time they would come by intermittently to do yard work and other general labor tasks.
"We allowed them to become a really big part of our lives to a point when we actually had a cookout here at the house and three of them showed up and asked if three more could show up and we agreed," Margaret Mayne said. "And, actually at one point, all six of them were here helping out and earning cash after that."
Robert Mayne drives trucks for a living, and Margaret often tags along on his trips, she said. The couple had plans to head out on a four-week trip, for which they departed on June 29. Prior to leaving, Margaret Mayne said that she gave a key to the house to one of the kids so that he could make sure their cat had food and water while they were away, and that he was fully aware of when they were leaving and when they were planning on returning.
Less than a few days into their trip, Margaret Mayne said that the juvenile in question called her and said "It is so hot outside, could we just go in and sit on the couch and play on our phones?" She said she saw no problem with this, and told him he could do so as long as he made sure to lock the door before leaving.
Around three o'clock on Friday morning, while he and his wife were asleep in Houston, Robert Mayne received a phone call and voicemail from an unrecognized phone number that was calling from Siloam Springs and said that he did not think much of it and that it could wait until the morning. That phone number turned out to belong to an officer from the Siloam Springs Police Department.
"We called him back and he asked me if I had sold my pickup and I said 'No, it is sitting in the driveway,' and he goes 'No, it is with us,'" Robert Mayne said. "I said 'What?' He said 'Yeah it was stolen and they sold it,' and then he goes 'On top of that, I have got some news about your house. It has been broken into and ransacked. It is bad.' We immediately came home after hearing that."
Although Robert Mayne said that there is no way to know for certain until the police finish their investigation, he believes a total of six juveniles participated; the original three that they came into contact with, in addition to three more that are of the ages 15, 16 and 17. This was probably necessary because those three could not have done this alone, he said.
"See they had to have help getting my toolbox and tools out of the shed, because see that toolbox is a roll-around toolbox. You cannot just pick that thing up, especially not three kids that are that young and especially not with all of the tools in it," Robert Mayne said. "It's a $7,000 Mac Tote toolbox and full of tools, but they probably just emptied it out, backed my truck up over there and then loaded it into the back. I can even see the roll marks near the concrete where they rolled it to the edge of the concrete to load it in the truck."
Out of a fear for their safety, since they got back, the couple has spent several nights sleeping in Robert's semi-truck that he uses for work. This will only be temporary, however.
"What our intentions are right now is, we are going to try to clean up as much as we can, sell the house and leave Siloam Springs," Margaret Mayne said. "We do not feel safe here. We worked very hard for what we had, and it is all gone, but, you know, everything can be replaced that is material. But what I feel cannot be replaced in all honesty, is my trust in those that come to my doorstep. I think that that trust is gone at least for now, but my faith has not wavered, I believe that God is going to see us through this and get us through it."
Margaret Mayne also had some positive words for the way the Siloam Springs Police Department has handled the situation.
"The SSPD may have a bad reputation with some people, but I want people to know that is not true and that they should not have that reputation with anyone," Margaret Mayne said. "These officers have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help us through this and just listen to our problems. They have been willing to send us an officer over just because I said I was scared, and I would like to thank them for that."
General News on 07/15/2018