AMERICAN FORK, Utah — Mother’s Day was marred by a series of break-ins for neighbors in American Fork and Pleasant Grove, with several homeowners taking to social media to share their concerns and tips that eventually helped police track down the woman they believe was responsible.
But even after an arrest was made, neighbors are still nervous.
Sundays are often a day for relaxation and Brooke Hutchings certainly thought that her Mother’s Day was.
“I had returned home from Vernal after being gone for the weekend,” said Hutchings. “Came upstairs, started to unpack, laid down for a nap.”
That is until she learned on Monday of burglaries in the neighborhood. After reviewing her Ring camera, she saw a woman run up to her own front door at around 3:30 p.m. the day before. Minutes later, while Hutchings was upstairs, the woman found a way in through an unlocked side door.
The woman was caught on camera going through Hutchings' refrigerator and cabinets, cutting up hot dogs and feeding Hutchings’ dogs before leaving with nothing.
“It’s just weird,” Hutchings said. “She didn’t take the medicine out of the cupboard. She didn’t take the knife. My purse was on the table.
“Was she scoping out the neighborhood for someone to come back?”
What neighbors Adam and Amanda Nielsen pieced together shows it was a possibility.
“We pretty much have her on camera from the moment she enters the neighborhood until she leaves,” said Adam.
Stringing together all the surveillance video he could find, Adam made a timeline that showed the woman moving through the neighborhood in just 30 minutes, with 15 of those in the Nielsen's home.
“We just watched her walk all the way through our house,” said Amanda Nielsen. “We then see her downstairs opening our childrens' bedroom doors”
The Nielsen's gathered the unsettling evidence and helped American Fork police arrest 48-year-old Roxanne Cagle of Elk Ridge on Thursday.
Court documents show Cagle has numerous past burglary charges and has been convicted three times: in 2007, in 2012, and in 2018.
However, officers told FOX 13 News that Cagle is already out on bond just after her arrest, which is why residents are worried.
“Last night I slept good, but I won’t tonight,” said Hutchings.
Police admit the incidents are "absolutely alarming," and note they can pursue enhanced charges given Cagle’s history. The neighbors certainly hope the threat is gone, but they’ll be keeping their guard up and their doors locked.
“Unfortunately, we have to lock ourselves in our homes now,” Hutchings said. “That’s what I didn’t do that day, to check all the doors. Everything else was locked except one door, and she found it.”
Cagle currently faces two counts of burglary in a dwelling in American Fork and an additional burglary charge in Pleasant Grove. Her court date has not yet been set.
