Baxter Faces 28 Charges

DAYTON - The trial date is set for Daniel Baxter, a transient man charged with eight counts of burglary who had eluded police for many months in Columbia County.

Baxter, a 34-year-old drifter with ties to Montana, California and Pennsylvania, will appear in front of a judge for his bench trial May 30, 31 and June 1.

Baxter is facing 28 different charges from the Columbia County Prosecutor's Office. Those charges are eight counts of residential burglary, six counts of possession of stolen property in the third degree, four counts of theft in the second degree, three counts of theft in the third degree, three counts of possession of stolen property in the second degree, three counts of burglary in the second degree and one count of making false or misleading statements to a public servant.

Baxter has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held in Columbia County Jail on $250,000 bond.

Baxter requested a bench trial, a trial with only a judge, rather than a jury trial, said Prosecutor Rea Culwell.

"(The defense possibly believes) it may be a fairer trial," Culwell said.

Baxter's attorney, Andrea Burkhart, provided no comment on the choice.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office had been in search of a transient who had been breaking into empty Dayton homes beginning last summer.

The suspect had been targeting vacant homes inside the city limits for several months, forcibly entering them, stealing personal property and even squatting in them for periods of time. The burglar-squatter didn't have a preference, he frequented unfurnished, furnished and intermittently occupied homes alike. The suspect had been known to barricade himself inside the home or set up elaborate warning systems to alert him of the presence of other people in the home where he had set up residence, law enforcement officials said.

The sheriff's office put up cameras and alarms in some houses the suspect was frequenting, but authorities had trouble getting a clear picture of the suspect on camera.

The only description the office provided was that the suspect was a "tall, white male, between the ages of 25-50."

In October, items were finally reported missing from some homes. After a monthslong search and extra patrols by the sheriff's department, Baxter was arrested, linked to breaking into 14 homes in the area.

In early February, officers discovered Baxter hiding in the basement of an empty home owned by Dayton's Community Bible Church on South Second Street.

The first reports that there was suspicious activity at the church came on Monday, Feb. 6, when church officials reported a burglary at the church, saying the suspect had taken food meant for children, turned up the heat to 75 degrees and left the lights on.

Baxter was found living in a crawl space about the size of a kitchen at the back of the Clay Street House. The house was used for Bible study classes and youth group, but no one lives there.

After police fished Baxter out, officials found everything needed for someone to live in the crawl space, including heaters, cooking apparatus, computers and clothes.

The documents on Baxter's case charge him with burglarizing homes on East Clay Street, East Spring Street, West Main Street, South Fourth Street, South Second Street and East Whitman Street.

He is charged with stealing and or possessing items from the homes including, a laptop computer and other computers, game camera, mason jars, vitamins, tan boots, DVR, food, candles, encyclopedia volumes, computer printer, books, wall heater. He is also charged with stealing two surveillance cameras that belonged to the sheriff's office.

If convicted of these crimes, the sentences range from about 364 days in jail to 10 years in prison.