Suspected thief admits to stealing SUV, sodas
Barah Wood sits at the defendant's table during his Aug. 11, 2022, arraignment in Flathead County District Court on a felony theft charge. (Derrick Perkins/Daily Inter Lake)
A man accused of stealing a vehicle from a North Meridian Road repair shop in June and later breaking into an Evergreen business has changed his plea in Flathead County District Court.
Barah Zebariah Wood, 23, pleaded guilty to amended misdemeanor charges in the latter case and felony theft in the former at a Dec. 15 hearing before Judge Heidi Ulbricht. The reversal — Wood initially pleaded not guilty in both cases — follows a deal he struck with prosecutors in mid-December.
Wood came to the attention of investigators after deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office allegedly found him in a stolen GMC Yukon near Berne Park River Access on June 7. According to court documents, authorities had kept an eye out for the sport utility vehicle after its owner reported it missing from a local repair shop.
Under questioning, Wood allegedly admitted stealing the Yukon.
After his Aug. 11 arraignment in that case, Wood again ran afoul of authorities. On Sept. 13, the owner of an Evergreen nursery spotted an individual inside the business via a live camera feed about 4:56 a.m., court documents said. Arriving deputies allegedly found Wood leaving the business with stolen drinks in his hand.
According to court documents, officials estimated Wood caused roughly $1,794 in damage to the business from cutting an entrance in the siding to get the drinks. He was arraigned on charges from that arrest in late September.
Under the terms of his Dec. 15 plea agreement, which encompasses both cases, prosecutors are expected to seek a suspended six month stint in the county jail, $100 fine and $75 surcharge for the pair of misdemeanors. For the felony theft charge, they agreed to recommend a suspended two year sentence with the state Department of Corrections. The two sentences would run concurrently and Wood would receive credit for time served.
After accepting Wood’s plea change — he admitted under oath to stealing the vehicle in June and the drinks in September — Ulbricht set sentencing for Feb. 9. She also allowed Wood’s release on his own recognizance so he could undergo substance abuse treatment.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.