Squatter Pleads Guilty To Burglaries

DAYTON - Dayton's elu- sive squatter-burglar went for- ward with a plea agreement last Thursday in Columbia County Superior Court after previously sending a note to the prosecutor saying he had changed his mind.

Daniel Baxter, a transient man, was arrested in February and charged with 28 burglary- related counts stemming from the seven months or so he spent breaking into vacant homes in the city of Dayton and squatting in them overnight.

Last Thursday, Baxter did plead guilty to Judge William Acey to one count of burglary in the second degree, one count of making false or misleading statements to a public officer and five counts of residential burglary.

Julie Karl, a legal assistant with the Columbia County Prosecutor's Office, asked Acey to push sentencing for Baxter to July 12 to notify the victims involved and that re- quest was granted.

If Baxter's case had gone to trial, he could have faced 0 days to 70 years in prison depending on whether he was found guilty and whether the judge would have let him off the hook be- cause he is a first-time offender.

In May, the Times learned Baxter, age 34, was consider- ing a plea agreement with the state that would have put him in prison for 40 months if he pleaded guilty to making false or misleading statements to a law enforcement officer, five counts of residential burglary and one count of burglary in the second degree. In early June, the Prosecuting Attorney Rea Culwell said she received a let- ter from Baxter saying he may not want to take the plea agree- ment with the state and the case may have headed to trial.

Throughout the many months Baxter was in Day- ton, he was linked to burglar- izing homes on East Clay Street, East Spring Street, West Main Street, South Fourth Street, South Second Street and East Whitman Street. He was charged with stealing and pos- sessing items including a laptop computer and other computers, game camera, mason jars, vi- tamins, tan boots, DVR, food, candles, encyclopedia volumes, computer printer, books and a wall heater.

Last summer, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office knew it was looking for a transient man, but a good description was never obtained and released to the public because security cameras the department placed in a few vacant homes were stolen. In the fall, items from the homes began to be reported stolen as well.

In early February, officers discovered Baxter hiding in the basement of an empty home owned by Dayton's Commu- nity 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 re- ported 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.

Baxter was originally charged with 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 posses- sion 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. He has been held since his arrest in Columbia County Jail on $250,000 bond.

Baxter will be sentenced on July 12 at 2 p.m. at the Columbia County Courthouse.