By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater man and woman with criminal records have been charged with breaking into an unoccupied house on N. Range Road in rural Payne County on July 8, Aug. 13, and Aug. 19.
Floyd William Cathey, 36, who has three prior drug convictions and remains on probation for a 2018 burglary, has been freed on $40,000 bail with an order to appear in court on Sept. 14 on three counts of second-degree burglary.
Stephanie Kay Slavens, 44, who has three prior property-related convictions under the surname of Deason, has been freed on $40,000 bail with an order to appear in court on Oct. 20 on three counts of second-degree burglary.
The couple were arrested at 8:15 am on Aug. 28 by Payne County Sheriff’s Investigator Brandon Myers after items stolen from the burglarized house were found in their residence, an affidavit alleged.
A convenience store card found on the burglarized property was identified as having been given on Aug. 19 to a man whose green shirt resembled the suspect’s on video from trail cameras installed after the first break-in, the affidavit alleged. “The car the subject got out of, who received the card, got back into the black Kia,” which was later located outside the couple’s residence, the affidavit alleged.
“The Payne County Sheriff’s Office information jacket of Stephanie Slavens lists that she has a ‘full band of mushrooms’ tattoo on her right calf, which is consistent with the photographs taken at the scene of the burglaries,” the affidavit alleged.
Slavens “admitted that they had gone out to the property because they were told it was abandoned and they just pilfered,” the affidavit alleged.
After Cathey was shown pictures from cameras at the burglarized property, “He admitted that it was him in the photograph. He claimed he didn’t go into the house, but he went into the garage but claims he did not take anything,” the affidavit alleged.
The victim’s relatives said that a utility vehicle was missing from the garage; also missing were a riding lawn mower, a socket set, an air compressor, digital battery charger, circular saw, bolt cutters, vehicle loading ramps, and a pair of work boots, the affidavit alleged.
Due to their criminal records, the couple could each be given as much as three life prison terms if convicted of burglarizing the unoccupied house three times.
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