A 21 year old man who allegedly participated with his girlfriend in a theft from the Dairy Queen last May appeared for sentencing in DeKalb County Criminal Court Friday, February 12.
Judge Gary McKenzie presided.
James Anthony Skinner entered a plea to theft of property over $1,000 and received a two year sentence on supervised probation. He was granted judicial diversion and must make restitution.
Skinner’s co-defendant in the case, 21 year old Rebecca Dawn Duffield, a Dairy Queen Manager at the time of the crime, entered a guilty plea in December to theft of property over $1,000 and received a two year sentence but was granted judicial diversion. She is on supervised probation by TDOC. A vandalism charge against her was dismissed. She is to make restitution to the Dairy Queen in the amount of $380.27.
According to Smithville Police, Duffield and Skinner were inside the Dairy Queen on Sunday night May 3, 2015 cleaning up before closing when they stole more than $6,800 from the safe and then ransacked the office. Before they drove away in a blue Dodge Durango, Skinner was observed by a witness breaking out a glass in the drive through window apparently to give the impression that someone had broken into the business. The witness notified police and Officer Joey Myers responded to the scene at around 11:55 p.m.
Upon further investigation, Captain Steven Leffew said that the Durango was found parked at a residence on Short Mountain Highway and that both Skinner and Duffield were inside the home. Lieutenant Matt Holmes was informed that Duffield had just closed up the Dairy Queen and left moments prior to the incident. Lt. Holmes went to the residence and requested permission to search both the home and the Durango where evidence was collected. Police recovered over $6,800 which was returned to the owners of the Dairy Queen.
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