Accused burglar back behind bars after missing arraignment

A woman charged with burglary after allegedly being discovered passed out in her would-be victim’s bed in Columbia Falls last month is back behind bars.

Krystal Dawn Shears, 28, was released on her own recognizance Aug. 29, but missed her Aug. 31 arraignment in Flathead County District Court. Judge Heidi Ulbricht issued a bench warrant following the no-show and Shears was booked back into county jail on Sept. 12.

Prosecutors say in court documents that Shears broke into a Columbia Falls apartment Aug. 24 and packed a suitcase with the resident’s belongings. The would-be victim phoned authorities after arriving home to find the suitcase and an unfamiliar pair of shoes waiting for her inside.

Columbia Falls Police officers, arriving about 9:46 p.m., found Shears asleep in her victim’s bed while clutching a bottle of alcohol, court documents said.

Inspecting the suitcase, the victim said it was packed with her clothing and other personal possessions, according to court documents. She told officers the suitcase was empty, the last she could remember, and she never gave either the items or the luggage to Shears.

An officer at the scene recalled coming across Shears about two hours before the report of the burglary. At the time, she had a suitcase, according to court documents.

Shears is expected back before Ulbricht on Oct. 13 for her arraignment on the sole felony charge.

It’s not Shears’ first time in the district courthouse. In December 2018, she allegedly fought with Kalispell Police officers after they arrived at her door with a warrant, earning a felony assault on a peace officer charge. Prosecutors ultimately dismissed the charge without prejudice in 2019.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.