A Hillsboro woman was sentenced to at least four years at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville this week in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

Lacy Helterbrand, 38, Hillsboro, was sentenced on one count of burglary, a second-degree felony.

According to court records, factors in Helterbrand’s sentencing was that the felony was of the first or second degree. The records said other factors in the sentencing were that she had a prior felony or previous misdemeanor offense of violence in the past two years.

Another factor in the sentencing, records said, was that Helterbrand violated a term of the conditions of her bond.

Helterbrand was given jail time credit on her sentence of 44 days already served.

On April 3, 2021, court records state the Highland County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an active burglary at a residence located on S.R. 138 in Hillsboro. Two deputies and a sergeant responded and contacted the property owner. The owner said they were using the bathroom when an unknown female opened the restroom door.

The property owner said they had never seen the female before and was concerned about her presence in the residence. The property owner said the female seemed to be disoriented, and then was able to get the female to leave the residence. When the female left, the property owner contacted law enforcement, according to court records

After they contacted law enforcement, the female exited the property and started to walk down a creek bed. One of the deputies searched the area and found a female that matched the description of the female given by the property owner about one mile south of S.R. 138 near a creek. The female identified herself as Helterbrand, court records state.

Helterbrand was taken back to the property owner who identified her. The property owner said that his wife’s muck boots were missing from the living room and a deputy said that Helterbrand was wearing a pair of muck boots. The property owner identified the boots as his wife’s, according to court records.

While looking over the scene, the property owner found that other items were out of place in the residence. The property owner found food was missing from the kitchen and food packaging was found around the property. After Helterbrand was advised of her Miranda Rights, she admitted to the deputy that she was on the property and left her boots and blue jacket in the barn. The deputy found the jacket on a stairwell that led to the hayloft of the barn where food packaging was found, according to court records.

In other news, Karissa Frankee Del Purcell, 31, Hillsboro, was sentenced to three years of community control for one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony. Purcell was also accepted into the New Way to Recovery Drug Court Docket.

The judgment entry said that if Purcell violates any of the community control or drug court docket conditions, she would be terminated from the Drug Court Docket and given a sentence of 12 months and a $2,500 fine.

According to court records, on March 27, 2021, a sergeant received a call from his chief who said that they had transported Purcell from the Wilmington Police Department to the Highland County Justice Center, and when they arrived at the jail, drugs were found on her property.

Court records said that drugs and a glass pipe were located in Purcell’s purse. Purcell said that the substance in her purse was meth.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.