I just read the article below, from the South County Independent, and feel like, since the writer of the article read and quoted from this blog, that maybe some people might look at it.
I don’t know what should happen with Margo Caddick. I am sad that she has problems, and I am sure this is a time of great stress for her family. However, this has been a nightmare for people in this neighborhood. A place where my family has felt very safe has changed. When the police told us that “She (Margo Caddick) had notes about you” and knew when we had been on vacation and what time we usually go to sleep, I got chills. When the locksmith who changed our locks told me that he’s never been so busy, I cried later, thinking about the devastating loss of trust in this ‘village’. When I heard about the jewelry, letters, birdbaths and ladders that were stolen from my neighbors, I walked endlessly around my home, wondering what might be missing that I hadn’t noticed, wondered if she’d gone through my drawers, wondered if she had taken bridge tokens out of our cars, wondered and wondered and wondered if she had my cat.
It will be a year on June 8th since I saw my cat Junior, and in the past few weeks, skinny and shy cats have been creeping around the neighborhood. I don’t know if they are cats that she had hidden away- I don’t know. I don’t know. Even if Junior was to come home right now, he’d be a very different fellow than the friendly, huggly bundle of happy cat he was. Maybe Margo Caddick had nothing to do with Junior’s disappearance- or the disappearance of Oscar, another lovely missing cat, or any of the others.
No one can prove anything about the cats. But no one is denying that this woman was in and out of our houses, gardens and cars, stealing our belongings, and stealing our feelings of safety and security.
From the article: ”Caddick’s lawyer, Lise Gescheidt, is not happy.
“The neighbors’ behavior is so over the top. It is confrontational and unreasonable,” Gescheidt said in an interview on Tuesday. “
I, for one, disagree. A couple of weeks ago, the police shot and killed a rabid racoon in the neighborhood. I was outside when I heard the shots, and at the same time, I saw a car driving slowly past Margo Caddick’s house. I thought someone was so mad that they were doing a drive-by shooting! Well, of course, it was the raccoon thing, and I laughed later about even thinking that someone would do a drive-by shooting here, in Kingston- in a Volvo! But that, Lise Gescheidt, would have been a “confrontational and unreasonable” and even an “over the top” reaction.
I lock my door all the time now. We got outdoor lights put in. Noises at night alarm me. When I can’t find something, I wonder, did Margo Caddick take it? What am I not noticing?
I wonder about all the houses near me that I assumed were filled with nice people.
Margo Caddick may be very very sick and that’s sad, but she’s spread quite a nasty feeling over a really lovely place, and that’s sadder still.
More charges lodged in thefts
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SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The woman alleged to be a one-woman crime wave in Kingston and Matunuck has been arrested on 12 additional counts of receiving stolen goods.
On Tuesday, police charged Margo Caddick, 54, of 70 Cherry Road, Kingston, and 108 Peninsula Drive, Matunuck, with six felony counts of receiving stolen goods of more than $500 and six misdemeanor counts of receiving stolen goods of less than $500.
In March, University of Rhode Island Police charged Caddick with burglary, possession of burglary tools and receiving stolen goods worth less than $500, after she was allegedly discovered in the kitchen of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority house on March 12.
During the March arrest, police found burglary tools, including needle pliers, a seat belt cutter, latex gloves, two mini-mag lights and slip joint pliers, and garden gloves and a mask in her car. Police executed a search warrant on her homes, where they seized nearly 200 items they believe were taken from the university, the Greek houses near campus and her neighbors’ homes in Kingston and Matunuck. Since that time, they have been matching the goods to their owners and investigating further charges.
Caddick was arraigned in Fourth Division District Court in Wakefield on Tuesday, where she entered no plea, as is custom in felony cases at the District Court level. She was ordered to have no contact with the victims and to continue receiving mental health evaluations. She continues to be free on personal recognizance until June 24.
Link to Independent
Hey, just in case you check in. Detective Wheatley responded to my email today. This is what he had to say,
“Sorry it took me a while to respond. We have been receiving an incredible amount of emails and phone calls regarding this case and of course we still get new cases daily. I understand you believe your information is credible because it was provided by people who “witnessed the event” ; however, the information is still misleading. There were several people who were standing around outside when we conducted the search warrants. An officer may have said “there’s like 20 to 30 cats in that house” not meaning it literally but simply as an exaggerated expression. Somehow, someone, printed a flyer saying that there were 20-30 cats. This simply was not the case.
That being said, there were however, hundreds of stolen items recovered from the house. These items include, but not limited to, jewelry, electronics, nic-naks, tools, DVD’s and keys. I have put together a photo note book of all unclaimed items we have at the police station. If you wish to view the book, you may call me to set up an appointment. I have finally caught up on my voice mails so my in-box should accept new mail now. I can tell you that we found no evidence indicating that you were a victim in these series of crimes (we did not find your name or address among any items) but I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility.
I can be reached at 783-3321- Ext. 318
Detective Jason Wheatley”
I thought that you might be interested in what he had to say about the cat situation.
Search warrant yields hoard of possibly stolen items
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — At the Delta Zeta sorority house near the University of Rhode Island, residents’ possessions – iPods, DVDs and clothing – were constantly disappearing.
“But there’s 30 girls, so you think someone picked it up by mistake,” said Stephanie Palumbo, a fashion merchandising major from Connecticut. “You don’t think much of it.”
Palumbo is spending this semester in Spain. When she moved out of the sorority house, she accidentally left one box behind. Her wallet was in it.
The wallet – a Designer’s Guild leather wallet with her name in it – was one of nearly 200 items removed from the homes of Margo Caddick when police executed a search warrant last month. (For a complete list of the warrant return, go to www.scindependent.com.)
The search came after Caddick, 54, of 70 Cherry Road in Kingston and 108 Peninsula Drive in Matunuck was arrested at the Sigma Delta Tau sorority house on campus March 12.
That night, sorority sisters discovered a female intruder looking into the refrigerator and woke up their housemother, Bethany Barrington, who is also a South Kingstown Police officer. Caddick told Barrington she came into the house to use the bathroom.
While the two women were talking near Caddick’s car, Barrington saw burglary tools – needle pliers, a seat belt cutter, latex gloves, two mini-mag lights and slip joint pliers; garden gloves and a mask, along with other goods – including food and an Xbox 360 – in the woman’s car. She called campus police officers, who charged Caddick with burglary, possession of burglary tools and receiving stolen goods worth less than $500.
“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.”
So far, Caddick has been charged only in connection with the sorority house incident in March. But police are working to match up dozens of items found in her homes to theft reports and are planning additional charges.
Caddick’s lawyer, Lise Gescheidt, did not return a phone call asking for comment on the case.
“She did not work for the university,” Baker said. “She may have worked for the fraternity houses, independently.”
Palumbo and other students say white, middle-aged women often work as housekeepers, both at the university and within the Greek houses on Fraternity Circle and close to campus. There is enough turnover in those jobs, they said, that if they saw a middle-aged white woman they didn’t recognize wandering around their house – or even carrying items out – it might not raise suspicions.
The two departments served search warrants on Caddick’s homes, both of which are owned by trusts held by Caddick’s parents, according to town tax records, and which she shares with her elderly mother, Mildred. Her late father, Jack Caddick, was a professor of horticulture at URI.
“She appeared to have hoarded things,” said South Kingstown Police Capt. Jeffrey Allen. “The houses were both in poor condition.”
Matthew McHugh, a Caddick neighbor on Peninsula Road, said the Caddicks were a quiet family, but friendly.
“Jack was quite a collector,” McHugh said.
William Metz built his house on Cherry Road the same year Jack Caddick did.
“My mother’s family came from south of Rome, New York – Lamphere Road,” Metz said. “And Jack’s mother was also from Lamphere Road, Rome, New York.”
But despite that coincidence, Metz said, the two men worked in different departments at URI, went to different churches and had different interests.
“We were never closely acquainted,” Metz said. “But they were happy, friendly neighbors.”
Other neighbors agreed the Caddicks were quiet but friendly. They said Margo Caddick frequently walked around the neighborhood, often in search of one of her cats. Like the students, they didn’t think it strange to see her in their yards or even on their back porches.
“That’s just Margo,” many said.
But since the news of Caddick’s arrest has spread, her neighbors and students have been turning to police, detailing thefts that in many cases they had not bothered to report in the past.
Robert Andrews of 87 Conant Lane reported a large plastic penguin, valued at $1, a Movado ladies watch, valued at $350, and a silver serving set with gems inset in it, valued at $250, went missing in the past few years. He also told police that in April 2006, he found a middle-aged woman standing on his deck. The woman said she was looking for her dog.
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. Cynthia T. Smyth of 210 Weathervane Road reported a metal cat statue was missing.
Police are still working to match up items seized from the homes with their rightful owners. They are also following up on old larceny reports – and talking to neighbors – to compile a list of other missing items.
Some objects seized during the search have been positively identified.
Maryann Killilea of 1615 South Road identified a silver, blue and green necklace. Nikki Gates of 15 Thistledown Lane recognized her three-diamond ring, an emerald ring and two sets of diamond stud earrings. Susan Axelrod of 1621 South Road recognized a diamond turquoise ring, a blue sapphire ring, a gold diamond and opal ring, a gold bracelet, a silver and purple bracelet, a sterling silver pin with purple stones, a set of silver heart earrings and keys. Taryn Garshofsky of 18 Fraternity Circle identified a 17-inch flat-screen television. Amy Dahan of Potomac, Md., a university student, identified a Sharp 29-inch flat-screen television she had reported stolen on Jan. 22.
Allen said the police departments continue to investigate and more charges against Caddick will be forthcoming. After her arrest, Caddick was required to undergo a mental health screening, according to court records. She is free on bail. LINK
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: birdhouse, bucket, burglary, cat, Kingston, Margo Caddick
This is so unreal. I heard that the police were there and my DH went this am to see if our cat Junior was there. The police showed him a photo of what they (at that time) said was the only orange cat there, and it was not Junior.
When I got home this afternoon, there were still police there, so I went over with Junior’s photo and a photo of the stupid bucket. The officer? Detective? I spoke with said “there were only a few cats in there, and they’re older.” He did say that the cats had been well cared for. I asked if there were more cats at the house in Matunuck, and he said they were checking on that. He also said something about how she might have let the cats out into a field (? I am thinking maybe he meant Brown’s farm?) so to keep a look out.
He then looked at the bucket and said “I think I’ve seen this, wait here.” I said “There should be a big round one too.” He went around the side of the house and came back with my buckets. He put them on the ground and another guy took a photo of them. They then put them in my car for me. Now the buckets are back home, but not my beautiful boy Junior.
I don’t know if anyone is reading this, I don’t know if it’s ok to say this, but the garage door was open and it was packed full of stuff. I’ve never seen anything like it. There was a beautiful wooden birdhouse with a shingled roof on a 4×4 stand that was leaning against a tree outside the house, so if you lost a beautiful wooden birdhouse with a shingled roof on a 4×4 stand, I’d call the SK police if I were you.
I don’t know.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: catnapping, cats, frustration, Margo Caddick
A call to Detective Wheatley this morning gained no new information about when the cats would be removed from the property. This is getting ridiculous.
Woman charged in sorority food theft
Lindsay Lorenz
03/25/08 – Police arrested a South Kingstown woman accused of taking food from a University of Rhode Island sorority house after responding to reports of a suspicious person.
Two Sigma Delta Tau sisters found Margo Caddick, 54, of 70 Cherry Road, Kingston, peering into the house refrigerator around 5 a.m. on March 12.
The housemother, a South Kingstown police officer, followed Caddick to her car and began to question her, during which the officer noticed gloves, burglary tools and a mask in the woman’s car.
Caddick told police she had entered the house through an open door, and was using the bathroom.
However, when police searched her backpack, they found food that was missing from SDT’s fridge.
Police obtained warrants and searched her Cherry Road residence, as well as another residence on Peninsula Road in Matunuck, where they recovered items believed to have been stolen.
“We found items in her vehicle that would lead us to believe she was stealing from other fraternities and sororities,” Maj. Stephen Baker of the University Police said, citing an X-Box that was recovered.
URI police are taking into account other recent larcenies that might be related to Caddick’s. However, police never considered Caddick a likely suspect.
“She was completely off the radar screen as far as we were concerned,” Baker said of the middle-aged white woman.
He said Caddick has no previous criminal record. “We’ve checked with other departments and no one’s had contact with her,” he said, adding that she grew up around the South Kingstown area.
“She didn’t work here herself, but it does appear she was very familiar with the campus,” he added.
Baker said South Kingstown Police are working on the investigation and URI police are assisting when possible.
“We’re still investigating,” Baker said. “This investigation is going to take some time.”
Caddick is scheduled to appear in District Court in Wakefield on April 2.
Police are urging students to report stolen items, especially those with serial numbers, as police are able to track them through databases.”
LINK to Good Five Cent Cigar
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.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: burglary, Kingston, Margo Caddick, sorority
Woman accused of stealing food from sorority
01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, March 15, 2008
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — A 54-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday after two residents at the University of Rhode Island’s Sigma Delta Tau Sorority found her inside the sorority house, looking into their refrigerator, the police said.
Margo A. Caddick, of 70 Cherry Rd., South Kingstown, is charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools and receiving stolen goods worth less than $500, according to District Court records.
South Kingstown police Capt. Jeffrey Allen said sorority members discovered the woman at about 5 a.m. and told the house mother, who happens to be a South Kingstown police officer. The officer confronted Caddick as she walked to her car. URI police officers then arrived and arrested Caddick after finding she was in possession of stolen food, Allen said.
South Kingstown and URI police later served two search warrants, one at Caddick’s address and another on Peninsula Road and seized other items believed to have been stolen, Allen said. The investigation is continuing, he said.
Caddick is free on bail and is scheduled to be back in District Court, Wakefield, on April 2.
LINK to ProJo article
