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Peggy Lynn Monroe, 55, did not receive any jail time but nearly spent the weekend behind bars anyway.
She was originally scheduled to appear for sentencing at 9 a.m. Thursday but failed to show up, Assistant Winona County Attorney Nancy Bostrack said.
“No one heard from her,” she said.
Judge Jeff Thompson issued a warrant for Monroe’s arrest. Monroe arrived at the courthouse around 1 p.m. on her own, saying she thought that was when her hearing started. Rather than have the police arrest her, the court rescheduled her hearing for 2 p.m.
When the hearing finally began, Thompson told her about the warrant.
Monroe reacted with shock and disbelief.
“No!” she said.
“Yes,” Thompson said. “You were a couple hours away from spending the weekend in jail.”
“Oh my,” Monroe replied, and then apologized for her tardiness.
Thompson then issued a stern warning to her before reading her sentence, telling her to never enter someone’s house unless she knocks and is invited in.
Monroe admitted in May to entering the home of Harriet Kelley, who had been dead since October 2006, in the 600 block of West Howard Street without permission. Her cousin, Janet Marie Dornfeld, 55, convinced her it would be OK to go inside because she had a key, Monroe said. They went in after dark with flashlights, afraid a neighbor would see, she said. Monroe turned on a light for a short time, and a neighbor did notice and called police.
Officers found a Cuban peso and a brass ring in Dornfeld’s pocket, and she said she didn’t know if the items belonged to her, according to the criminal complaint. Police found change in Monroe’s pocket, including a 50-cent piece similar to other coins found in Kelley’s home.
Monroe was convicted of misdemeanor trespassing. A felony charge of burglary was dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Dornfeld faces a felony charge of third-degree burglary and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on July 16.
Contact Kevin Behr at (507) 453-3524 or at kbehr@winonadailynews.com.
