A preliminary hearing has been set for September 24 for a Hydro man accused of vandalizing the Great Plains Family YMCA Child Development Center.
Christopher Steven Jones, 32, was arrested April 4 for allegedly breaking into the YMC Child Development Center (CDC) and vandalizing several ite according to the affidav of probable cause filed with the Custer County District Court.
He was charged with second-degree burglary, malicious injury to property more than $1,000, larceny, false personation and identity theft. He has no previous related charges in Custer County
Video surveillance from the center showed Jones, a white bearded male about 6 feet tall, allegedly wearing a bonnet, dress, pink tennis shoes and diaper. He was holding what appeared to be diapers in his hand, court records show.
One of the center’s employees called to report the break-in about 4:17 p.m. Saturday. She said she had noticed several items were strewn about the rooms and not where they were left the day prior. Several of the rooms had closet doors open, as if someone had been looking for something. There were clothes, blankets, used diapers, sippy cups and a pop-up play tent in the sandbox in the outdoor playground, according to court records.
The center director told the Weatherford Daily News she estimated the damages to be about $5,000.
While Weatherford Police Officer Chaz Hickman was watching the surveillance footage, the director’s husband came in to tell him there was a man outside in the dumpster. Hickman found a man, who was later identified as Jones, in the dumpster hiding underneath a blanket. Hickman instructed Jones to exit the dumpster and put his hands behind his back. Jones allegedly told Hickman his name was John Jones. When dispatch said there was not an individual by that name, Jones said his last name was Johnson, not Jones, court records show.
Jones allegedly repeatedly asked to strike a deal with Hickman, so as not to go to jail. He said the back door to the center was wide open so he did not break-in and did not take anything from the center. When asked if the car parked on the side of the building was his, Jones allegedly said he was borrowing it from his father-in-law, with whom he had been living for the last 4 months, according to court records.
Jones’ father-in-law told Hickman Jones had permission to drive the car and clarified his name as being Jones, not Johnson. Hickman found paperwork, which appeared Jones was in the process of changing his name to John Johnson, court records show.
Later the reporting employee gave Hickman one of the center’s iPads in which Jones allegedly videoed himself on. There also were several diapers and play clothes found in the dumpster Jones was found in, according to court records.