By MATT THACKER
Police believe three New Albany residents may be responsible for as many as 100 residential burglaries that occurred throughout Floyd, Clark and Washington counties this spring.
David A. Banet, 25, and Steven M. Ferguson, 30, were already in the Floyd County Jail on separate cases when they were charged earlier this month with class B felony burglary and class D felony theft.
Amanda L. Coomer, 22, who had previously cooperated with police, is now considered at large. Police had been waiting to hold a press conference until after they arrested Coomer, but they have not been able to locate her.
“She’s on the run,” Floyd County Detective Jeff Topping said on Wednesday.
A press conference is scheduled for this morning at the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department to announce the case has been solved and to seek help finding Coomer.
The first break in the case came on April 29 after a rash of break-ins that day in the area of Palmyra and Borden. Indiana State Police obtained photographs from video surveillance that one Harrison County home owner had on his property when it was burglarized. It showed that suspects leaving in a gray Dodge Caravan, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Floyd County.
Floyd County police received numerous anonymous calls in early May stating that Banet, Ferguson and Coomer were responsible for the string of recent burglaries. The callers described the vehicle being used, and it matched the vehicle in the video, according to the affidavit.
Detectives later received information that the van was sold, and the suspects were now driving a green car.
On May 21, Indiana State Police detectives from Indianapolis went to New Albany and installed a GPS device on Ferguson’s green 1995 Mazda Millennia while he was at work. But a relative reportedly told Ferguson something was placed on his car, and Ferguson destroyed the GPS unit and dropped it off at the police station.
Ferguson was incarcerated for damaging the property. He was charged with class D felony criminal mischief.
Coomer was located by Topping on Aug. 15, and the suspect said she wanted to cooperate. She reportedly said Ferguson and Banet would break into the homes and steal items and she would be the driver.
She said she thought they were responsible for up to 100 burglaries and that they had committed as many as two per day for several months, court records state. She drove police to locations they had burglarized and gave information only the suspect would know, according to court records.
The trio has been charged in one particular burglary, in which they allegedly stole a large flat screen television from a Floyd County residence. They will also face charges in Washington and Clark counties.
Bond is set at $100,000 cash only for Ferguson and $100,000 court cash or surety for Banet.
All three have criminal histories in Floyd County.
Coomer has pending charges of forgery and check fraud from 2007. Ferguson has previous convictions in Floyd County for theft and battery resulting in bodily injury in 1998 and 1999. He will be charged also as a habitual offender.
A class B felony carries a possible sentence of six to 20 years in prison, while a class D felony is six months to three years.
