An Austin man who pleaded guilty in May to felony burglary after he broke into an Austin home and stole several weapons was back in court last week after a similar incident.
Jayson Christopher Pomsyda, 18, pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony second-degree burglary of a dwelling and felony theft.
The latest charges stem from an incident July 25, when Austin police and Mower County deputies were dispatched to a home in the 900 block of 10th Street Northwest for a burglary.
According to the criminal complaint, the homeowners had arrived home and found a bicycle in their driveway and the back door of their house open. A basement light was also on in the home.
Law enforcement found no one inside, the report says, but a deputy noticed a screen had been removed from a kitchen window on the west side of the house; it appeared to be the point of entry.
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The homeowners discovered jewelry had been taken, including five rings; a tin box with several silver coins, and a collection of quarters from all 50 states. The items taken were valued at more than $1,600.
Police learned the bike in the driveway belonged to a 14-year-old boy, who said he'd loaned it to a 13-year-old boy.
According to the complaint, that boy met with officers and said he knew where the stolen property was, but denied burglarizing the home. He allegedly told officers he didn't want to "tell on anyone," but could get the stolen items back.
An officer drove the boy to an Austin residence; the 13-year-old boy came back with three gold necklaces, later identified as coming from the home on 10th Street Northwest.
He reportedly told the officer that Pomsyda had committed the burglary, and asked the 13-year-old to be the "look-out."
The boy allegedly said he looked through a window of the house and saw Pomsyda going through dresser drawers in a bedroom and putting things in a black bag he brought with him. About 30 seconds later, the garage door began to open, so the boy ran off, leaving the bike behind.
Pomsyda had reportedly also left moments before the homeowners arrived.
According to the complaint, witnesses described seeing the two at the house at about 7 p.m.; they later picked Pomsyda from a six-photo line-up.
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Pomsyda was located and arrested Aug. 3. During a police interview, he allegedly first said he was at home sleeping at the time of the burglary, then said he was in Albert Lea, then Shakopee, looking for car parts.
He remains in the Mower County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond; his next court appearance has been set for Sept. 10.
In the earlier case, a woman who was taking care of pets in a homeowner's absence reported April 5 that the house had been burglarized.
There apparently had been two break-ins. Nothing appeared stolen in the first entry, but in the second, it was reported that three rifles, a shotgun, 25 knives and multiple rounds of ammunition were missing from a gun safe. A smaller safe containing a revolver, three collectible coins, $1,500 in savings bonds, as well as birth certificates and baby books, also was reported missing. The owner estimated the value of the contents at more than $3,000.
A few days later, a man told police he'd found some guns in the 900 block of Fourth Avenue Northwest; according to the complaint, the man said his 14-year-old son had heard some friends bragging about the burglary. The 14-year-old allegedly said Pomsyda had committed the crimes with another person the boy didn't know.
The next day, the father told officers, his son received a phone call from Pomsyda, who allegedly said, "If you tell anybody who broke into that house, you're a dead man."
Pomsyda was found hiding in the garage of an apartment complex in the 600 block of Ninth Street Northwest and arrested April 10, the report says.
