An interesting Antrim County home invasion case is in the news. Ann Shirley Wilson, a 74 year old resident of Elk Rapids, MI was recently arrested and charged with breaking and entering. The retired real estate agent is a suspect in a string of break-ins across several counties, including Leelanau, Grand Traverse and Antrim. According to police, Wilson would knock on the door of a home and if no one answered, she would enter. If discovered, she used a ‘lost dog ruse’ – claiming to be searching for the owners of a lost dog.
Several different home owners across three different counties have reported break-ins to the police, citing the disappearance of little items and knick-knacks from their homes. Several individuals reported encountering Wilson in their homes uninvited. One man claims he came out of the shower to find her wandering around in his house. A woman in another county says she came home to find Wilson in her home. In both instances Wilson cited looking for owners of a lost dog as her reason for being in the home without permission.
Items reported missing include small change, jewelry and other items
Elk Rapids police say there have been five reports of ‘lost dog’ breaking-and-entering incidents in Elk Rapids and several more in other areas. Items reported as missing include small change, jewelry and other assorted little items that are easy to carry and conceal.
During a search of Wilson’s home, several stolen items were recovered, but many more remain unaccounted for. When asked about the stolen items, Wilson stated that after entering a home she would see items that she had ‘fallen in love with’ and then ‘had to have.’ Initially deputies believed that Wilson’s actions may have been the result of a medical condition or mental illness, but it is now believed that her actions were deliberate.
Wilson was arraigned in 86th District Court and is facing one charge of first-degree home invasion which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. She was held in the Antrim County Jail until posting bail for $150,000 and being released. A condition of her bail forbids her to enter a home that is not her own.