Two more charged in Ptarmigan Village thefts
A man and a woman have been charged in relation to a major burglary at Ptarmigan Village in Whitefish that occurred in October.
Cory Teel Mills, 33, a transient, was charged with one count each of felony burglary and felony theft in the case last week. Tina Jo Rippberger, 44, of Whitefish, was charged with felony forgery, a common scheme.
Rippberger’s daughter Shannon Rae Donovan, 24, of Kalispell was already charged in the case, and has pleaded not guilty to felony burglary. According to court documents, Donovan and Mills were the individuals believed to be caught on camera breaking in between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Oct. 24. They allegedly took $8,000 in cash, vending machines, washers, dryers, checkbooks and other office equipment from the complex.
Deputies believed that someone familiar with the facility had committed the burglary. Donovan is a former employee of the facility.
Cameras captured images of a woman and man committing the burglary. The woman had pink hair.
A pink-haired woman was also caught on camera in Bigfork, cashing one of the stolen checks. Multiple people reportedly identified the woman in the photo as Donovan. Donovan was arrested, and her hair was still allegedly pink.
Mills was identified as the driver of a vehicle allegedly used in the burglary, with Idaho plates that matched those in the surveillance of the scene.
Donovan allegedly identified her mother, Rippberger, as someone who had allegedly been caught on camera in multiple places cashing more than $5,000 in 47 stolen checks that were written out to a fictitious name, using a fictitious driver’s license.
Rippberger is wanted on a $35,000 warrant that was issued on Dec. 13.
MILLS REMAINS in jail, for the Ptarmigan Village case and two others. He has pleaded not guilty to felony theft after he was allegedly caught in Kalispell Center Mall with a haul of stolen loot that was stolen from various locations in Kalispell between Oct. 24 and Oct. 27.
The items include a $5,000 Sako rifle, an NRA battle ax, a Yeti cooler, a welding jacket, binoculars, miscellaneous electronics, tablets, a North Face jacket, and mail belonging to numerous individuals.
During the course of the investigation, a cell phone belonging to Mills was also allegedly found in the vehicle from which the rifle was stolen.
It is estimated that the total value of stolen property found with Mills was in excess of $10,000.
Mills has also pleaded not guilty to felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs. That charge resulted after Mills was investigated for suspected shoplifting at Shopko in Evergreen on Aug. 15.
Mills would not consent to a search of his belongings and a warrant had to be obtained. Mills allegedly told investigators they would find “incriminating stuff” like “drugs” in his backpack.
A bottle of methadone was allegedly found in the backpack.
DONOVAN IS also being held on other charges. She did not show up in Flathead District Court for a scheduled change of plea hearing in regards to a felony theft and felony burglary charge in August. In that case, Donovan is accused of working with a man on May 20 to break the barrier cable of the sawmill at Lazarous Log Homes. The vehicle drove into the main building and the pair allegedly took various items including drills, an AC/DC welder, a propane torch, a Dewalt planer and other items.
The man identified as a suspect allegedly said it was Donovan who helped him in the burglary. Donovan was then located in the vehicle that was caught on camera at the scene of the burglary. Some of the stolen items were in the vehicle and Donovan allegedly admitted to her role in the theft.
Donovan is currently on probation, serving a three-year deferred sentence for a felony theft conviction. The sentence was issued on June 5, 2014.
Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.