Pound found going through vehicles

in Vian and Sallisaw businesses

A woman with addresses in both Vian and Sallisaw is facing two felony counts of burglary in the third degree, one count of attempted burglary in the third degree and possession of controlled dangerous substance (marijuana) after she was allegedly caught going through vehicles in both Vian and Sal- lisaw businesses earlier this month.

Amanda Pound, 42, was charged Dec. 6 in both cases in Sequoyah County District Court. She received a $3,500 bond in the Vian arrest and is now scheduled to appear before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters for a Jan. 4, 2023, felony disposition docket in both cases.

Vian arrest

Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy Cody Parkerson reported at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 1 he was dispatched to Hwy. 82 and 100 north of Vian regarding a female going through mailboxes and allegedly trying to break into vehicles.

Parkerson said he contacted Vian Police and by the time he arrived on the scene, Vian Police had the suspect detained. The Vian officer said the suspect, Pound, had broken into a vehicle on Hwy. 100 and then attempted to break into another vehicle at a medical marijuana dispensary, where she was detained.

The resident on Hwy. 100 said he was working in his greenhouse when one of his employees told him there was a female in his truck. The resident said he found the console and doors to his truck open and saw a female walking down the highway. He said he called 911 and the only thing he could find missing were a few dollars in cash.

The dispensary employee told police the same woman had attempted to get in her vehicle. The employee reviewed video surveillance from the security cameras which reportedly showed Pound walking around her car doors and attempting to get inside.

Pound said she’d walked to the area to meet a friend to try and get a ride. When Parkerson confronted her about the video surveillance, Pound denied breaking into any of the vehicles, instead she stated she thought they were “going to give her a ride,” according to the probable cause affidavit.

Pound did reportedly admit to using marijuana earlier but no other drugs.

During an inventory of Pound’s handbag, police reported finding a bag of a green leafy substance. Pound was then transported to the Sequoyah County Detention Center and the substance was taken and placed into an evidence locker.

Sallisaw arrest

Sallisaw Police Lt. Mark Rutherford on Dec. 2 he and other officers were dispatched to a local bank in reference to a female trying to break into vehicles in the parking lot. Police reported finding Pound walking southbound from the bank and attempted to pull in front of the female.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Pound began yelling “no” and pointing at the patrol unit before taking off behind a vehicle in a private drive, causing authorities to lose sight of her. Police were then able to locate Pound and ordered her to stop multiple times.

Pound told police she didn’t trust them and she was trying to get out of town like “everyone else,” according to the affidavit. When confronted about her trying to allegedly break into vehicles, Pound reportedly said, “Yes, I’m trying to steal a car. They stole mine and set it on fire last night.”

Authorities were able to detain Pound and run her identification, where she was found to have no active warrants for her arrest. She was then placed in one of the officer’s patrol units until they could find out what was going on.

Witnesses at the bank told police a customer reportedly saw Pound in the parking lot trying to get into vehicles and called 911. One of the bank employees confronted Pound about allegedly taking items from her vehicle and Pound called her names before throwing the employee’s purse at her, according to the affidavit in the case. The employee said Pound walked to the business next door and tried to open car doors there as well.

Another bank employee said he told Pound to leave the property and she told him “there were dead bodies all over the town and we need to get out of here.” When the employee asked her what she had taken, she threw her purse at him and started walking southbound.

Pound was arrested and transported to the Sallisaw City Jail where she was booked in on her charge, and then transferred to the Sequoyah County Detention Center.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said each count of burglary in the third degree is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years.