Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: burglary, investigation, Kingston, Margo Caddick
Police widen break-in probe
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — An off-duty police officer working a second job as a housemother at Sigma Delta Tau sorority may have cracked a major burglary case.
On March 12 at 5 a.m., University of Rhode Island sorority sisters told their housemother, Officer Bethany Barrington of the South Kingstown Police Department, that a stranger was raiding their refrigerator. Barrington followed the woman out of the sorority and to her car. The woman told Barrington she had come into the sorority to use the bathroom.
While the two women were talking, Barrington saw burglary tools, gloves and a mask, along with other goods – including the food – in the woman’s car. She called campus police officers, who charged Margo A. Caddick, 54, of 70 Cherry Road, Kingston, with burglary, possession of burglary tools and receiving stolen goods worth less than $500 (the food).
Later, the two departments served search warrants on the Cherry Road address and at 108 Peninsula Road, Matunuck. Both houses are owned by trusts held by Caddick’s parents, according to town tax records.
In the two houses, police found a variety of electronics, video game consoles, backpacks, keys and mail addressed to other people.
“She appeared to have hoarded things,” said South Kingstown Police Capt. Jeffrey Allen. “The houses were both in poor condition.”
Allen said the two departments are working to match theft reports to items found in the two houses and further charges are possible. Police also are asking residents of Kingston and URI to report any recent thefts.
Since learning of Caddick’s arrest, her neighbor, Scott B. Newcombe of 52 Cherry Road, told police a number of items were taken from his home over the past 10 months, including heirloom jewelry and tools. He also said the postal service and other delivery services had confirmed several pieces of mail and packages had been delivered but they had never arrived. Another neighbor, Norma H. O’Brien of 1637 South Road, reported that a concrete birdbath was stolen from her yard three years ago.
Police have not said if those items were recovered in the warrant seizure.
“She was completely off the radar screen,” Major Stephen Baker of URI Police said of the suspect. “We had no prior dealings with her, nor had other local departments.”
Since the charges are felonies, Caddick did not enter a plea when she appeared in Fourth Division District Court in Wakefield on Thursday. She was released on surety bail until April 2.
LINK to South County Independent
Liz Boardman can be reached at boardman@scindependent.com.
