A suspected grandmother-daughter-grandchild burglary team, in which boys ages 4 and 8 were allegedly used to help pilfer merchandise from Stateline area shops, was rounded up Sunday by the El Dorado Sheriff's Department.
Carolyn Blair, 62, and her daughter Brigette Moore, 35, both of Placerville, were arrested Sunday night on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy to commit grand theft, grand theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The two women are out on bail.
The two women allegedly stole merchandise from nine different stores on the California side of stateline near Heavenly Village, said El Dorado Sheriff's Sgt. Gary Parker, and the sheriff's department believes that as many as five other stores may have been victimized due the amount of merchandise found in Moore's car. The women allegedly used the two boys to help them in stealing from the stores.
They came up to South Lake Tahoe from Placerville, and had been staying in motels, even stealing bedspreads and other items from the motel rooms, according to Parker.
"A lot of the merchandise was found in pillowcases," Parker said.
Deputy Michael Paustian, while driving down Emerald Bay Road at about 10:15 p.m. Sunday, nearly hit the grandmother, Blair, as she walked down the road barefoot.
"She was walking in the roadway," said Parker, who responded to the scene as backup.
Blair reportedly told the officers she was on her way home to Placerville after an argument with her daughter over the disciplining of her grandchildren. Blair reportedly offered the number of a daughter in Roseville who could possibly come give her a ride back to Placerville.
Parker said the daughter in Roseville told him that her sister, Moore, had called to say their mother was missing. Moore reportedly told her sister that she couldn't call the police herself because her car was full of stolen merchandise.
Parker went to search the area where Blair reportedly said she had exited her daughter's vehicle, at Raley's near the "Y." Parker found the vehicle matching Blair's description, containing Moore, and her 4- and 8-year-old sons. The car contained an unknown amount of stolen merchandise, according to Parker.
Once taken into custody, the 8-year-old son told the sheriff's department that he and his brother were put up to helping in the burglaries by his mother and grandmother, according to Parker. Child Protective Services took the two boys, but released them to their mother on Monday, Parker said.
SOURCE: http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20070817/NEWS/108170081/-1/rss02
