Break-in aborted after alleged burglars hit wrong home
Four men facing felony conspiracy to commit burglary charges in Flathead County District Court were arrested after allegedly breaking into the wrong apartment during a planned home invasion in Kalispell last week.
Kalispell police caught Branden Lee Billings, 20, Joseph Craig Neva, 19, Joseph Claude Victoria, 19, and Colton Theodore Wieczorek, 19, together in a pickup truck following the alleged March 26 break-in, court documents said. Investigators credited the quick arrest to a combination of help from witnesses and surveillance footage.
Victoria picked up an additional tampering with a witness or informant felony charge for threatening to kill at least one co-conspirator if they cooperated with investigators, court documents said.
Still, three of the men, including Victoria, allegedly admitted to participating in the break-in during police questioning. According to court documents, the quartet planned to break into the home of an acquaintance and rob him of money and drugs. After picking up latex gloves at an area hardware store, the group headed to their target’s neighborhood. Donning face coverings, three of the men approached the door of a Fourth Avenue East apartment shortly before 10:12 p.m., court documents said.
On the other side of the entryway, the resident of the apartment heard loud banging at the door. Looking up from the television, she watched as the door frame flew “across the kitchen,” court documents said. An individual wearing a hoodie and bandana peered through the opening.
She screamed and the masked individual, identified in court documents as Billings, fled. Authorities said a neighbor watched three men retreat to a running pickup, which then drove off.
All four are expected to be arraigned in district court on April 13. Conspiracy to commit burglary is punishable by up to 20 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine. Tampering with a witness or informant carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in the state prison and a $50,000 fine.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.